Ryan Gosling’s sci-fi “masterpiece” sets new record as it lands near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes rating

Ryan Gosling’s sci-fi movie Project Hail Mary has earned “masterpiece” status in early reviews as it has become the actor’s highest-rated film, ranking higher than La La Land and Drive.

Directed by the Spider-Verse franchise’s Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film is based on the 2021 novel of the same name by sci-fi novelist Andy Weir, also known for The Martian. Adapting Weir’s book is once again Drew Goddard, who penned The Martian for the screen, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2015.

Also starring Anatomy of a Fall’s Sandra Hüller, the film follows astronaut Dr Ryland Grace (Gosling) as he awakens on a spacecraft with no memory of himself or how he got there.

Sony Pictures

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Deducing he must be the sole survivor of a crew sent to the Tau Ceti system to save Earth, Ryland intends to try his best to protect our planet, relying on his scientific knowledge and a dash of ingenuity. As he resumes his mission, the astronaut learns he’s not alone, finding an unlikely new pal in alien Rocky.

Hüller stars as Ryland’s boss and the head of the Hail Mary project, Eva Stratt, with Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Liz Kingsman, and Milana Vayntrub also featuring in supporting roles.

Following the London premiere of Project Hail Mary, held on 9 March, the movie has become Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a critics’ score of 95% out of 110 reviews, though this rating may change as more reviews come in closer to general release.

As of now, the impressive, near-perfect score means the sci-fi flick is currently Gosling’s highest-rated film on the aggregator, overtaking Drive, at 93%, and both La La Land and The Nice Guys, at 91%.

Amazon MGM

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Critics have been praising the film as “a cinematic masterpiece” with a “transcendent” Gosling (via Mama’s Geeky) and “the first science-fiction masterpiece of 2026” (via ComicBook.com).

The similarities with other staples in the solo hero canon — The Martian has a familiar protagonist in Matt Damon’s astronaut — are among the most divisive elements of Project Hail Mary, which the South China Morning Post branded “disappointingly derivative” and Mashable celebrated as a “mirthful mash-up”.

Project Hail Mary is released in UK cinemas on 19 March, with previews on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 March.

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Reporter, Digital Spy

Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy. 

Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).