The Pop Culture Pundit

In the movie 22 Jump Street, a fantastic sequel of the film 21 Jump Street which was itself a send-up of the 1980s police drama, there’s an extended credits scene in which stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill keep making more and more sequels. There’s 23 Jump Street: Medical School, 30 Jump Street: Flight Academy, and 2121 Jump Street in space to cap it all off. Of course it ends in space; it always does (looking at you, F9).

It may seem like an odd comparison, but Project Hail Mary is sort of what I imagine 2121 Jump Street would be like. No, it’s not a send-up, parody or reboot of an older TV show, but it is a film with humor, heart, and a wholesome message of friendship. 

Adapted from the book Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the film follows Ryan Gosling as a man named Ryland Grace who awakens in space with no memory of what he’s doing or how he got there. Suddenly, Grace is tasked with figuring out his mission, which becomes the daunting task of saving Earth. Unlike Barbie, Ryan Gosling is not And Ken here–he anchors the whole movie and is on screen, alone, for most of the film. 

Gosling immediately brings a warmth and relatability to the role other actors might not be able to. His character’s love of science shines through, as does his fears, seen through flashbacks, about going on a mission to space where he might not make it back alive. The screen time he shares with his co-stars, including an excellent Sandra Hüller, bring a depth to his character that adds to the loneliness he feels being the sole survivor of his crew. 

About halfway through the film, though, Gosling gains a unique co-star: an extraterrestrial rock that he (appropriately) names Rocky. Though Grace and Rocky don’t share the same language, they learn to communicate with one another (which might remind some of the film Arrival). Grace and Rocky’s friendship is also highly relatable–when Rocky decides to move into Grace’s spaceship unannounced, Grace begins making exasperated video documentaries of his unique behavior (anyone who lived in college dorms can certainly relate).

What elevates the film to the next level is the stellar direction from Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Lord and Miller were the duo behind the 21 Jump Street franchise, as well as writers of the TV show Last Man on Earth, a show about a group of survivors working to rebuild civilization after a deadly pandemic sweeps through the globe in the 2020s (this was before COVID, mind you). In both the Jump Street movies and Last Man on Earth, there’s a common theme: friendship. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill’s cops couldn’t seem more different, but become the best of friends fighting crime together. In Last Man on Earth, a group of people who might have not ever known each other come together to save humanity. 

The same theme is seen in Hail Mary. Grace and Rocky realize they both need to save their home planets, and end up saving each other in the process. Their friendship blossoms throughout the film, and we can see how much they care about one another. I never thought I would become emotionally attached to a rock in a movie, but here I am. 

In addition to the themes of friendship through Lord and Miller’s work, Project Hail Mary is simply a marvel to look at. Through a combination of practical and VFX effects, it looks like you can reach out and touch the spaceship. Though the movie is science fiction, it feels grounded in reality–and those are often the best ones (Back to the Future is my favorite movie after all). 

For fans of Arrival or The Martian (the latter of which is also adapted from an Andy Weir novel), Project Hail Mary is another stellar addition into the genre of space movies. This is also Ryan Gosling’s second space film after he played Neil Armstrong in the 2018 biopic First Man if you wanted to do a double feature for a movie night. 

Project Hail Mary is easily one of the best films of 2026 and I expect it to be nominated for many Oscars (my predictions so far are Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Visual Effects and Adapted Screenplay.) The acting and direction are stellar, as is the message: friendship quite literally traverses time and space. It has the power to save the universe. And as cheesy as that may be, it is also a lovely thing to remember. 

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