March Movie Review: Project Hail Mary

I'm so glad The Martian wasn't a fluke! Project Hail Mary delivered, perhaps surpassing the book.

What enamors me about Andy Weir's writing is that the technical challenges are approached with supreme confidence, underlining the lack of confidence in solving social problems. The tensions in his stories aren't whether the science will work- Science always works. It's whether the science will be enough. The ship is already built, but will someone rise to the challenge of flying it? The destination can be reached, but will it have an answer to our problems? There will be a way to reach someone with words, but which words will you use? These are the problems that can't be solved with math. There is no guidebook for whether the monster at the end of the tunnel is there to eat you or needs as much help as you do.

This movie explores determination in the face of hopeless odds, the nobility of uncertainty, and both how to learn and how to teach. The narrative weaves gently through isolation, camaraderie, and the ethical prospect of working on behalf of all humanity for no reason but altruism. This story asks, "If I must do this alone, why not help others along the way?" while narrowly avoiding "If I cannot help others, why do this at all?". And hey, it even manages to demonstrate some scientific principles along the way!

I could tell you more about the fiction, but I want to celebrate seeing it with my family. For my birthday I got to bring my parents to see it on the silver screen. My wife enjoyed it so much that she insisted we return to see it in IMAX- And not just to see a dreamboat from a better vantage, I'm assured! She insisted we stop at a bookstore on the way home to review the source material. It's such a relief to have another family friendly movie that I can recommend with confidence to any audience. Somehow, every person will be able to get something worthwhile out of this movie.

For more stories of behaving ethically in space, I suggest Midnight Burger.