Ryan Gosling stars in the sprawling sci-fi adventure Project Hail Mary, a 156-minute epic rated 12 that follows a lone hero’s desperate bid to rescue humanity from cosmic doom. While audiences praise its inventive premise, the film’s marathon runtime tests patience, unfolding like a real-time voyage across 11.9 billion light years.
Project Hail Mary: A High-Stakes Mission Gone Awry
Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a former molecular biologist turned middle-school science teacher. Authorities recruit him for a suicide mission aboard the starship Hail Mary. Microbes ravage the sun and stars, threatening Earth’s survival, but Tau Ceti remains untouched. Grace must uncover its secret and beam findings back home, with no fuel for return.
Grace awakens from a year-long coma in zero gravity, piecing together his plight through flashbacks. His original crewmates perished en route. A stern official, portrayed by Sandra Hüller, selected him for his expertise and lack of ties—no family, no pets. “You don’t even have a dog,” she notes.
The story, adapted from Andy Weir’s 2021 novel and co-scripted with Drew Goddard, echoes Weir’s The Martian. Like Matt Damon’s stranded astronaut, Gosling carries vast solo scenes. Yet this outing exceeds Gosling’s prior space role in First Man (2018), a taut true tale of moon landings.
Twists emerge: Grace encounters Rocky, a rock-like, spider-esque alien on a parallel quest. Their alliance shifts the tone to buddy-comedy slapstick, reminiscent of Marx Brothers antics or Guardians of the Galaxy. Chirpy laughs fill theaters early, though the bladder-testing length eventually quiets crowds.
Midwinter Break: Emotional Depth in a Quiet Drama
Rated 12 and clocking 90 minutes, Midwinter Break delivers a poignant character study. Lesley Manville shines as Stella, a devout Catholic scarred by Belfast’s Troubles. Now emotionally wounded, she chafes in her marriage to retired architect Gerry (Ciarán Hinds), who favors whiskey over faith.
In Amsterdam, Stella weighs joining a women’s sisterhood, sparking a potential rift. Director Polly Findlay adapts Bernard MacLaverty’s novel with exquisite performances and keen observation. Pacing feels deliberate—some call it slow—but its brevity sustains engagement.
Other Films Lighting Up Screens
Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come – Gore-Filled Chaos
This 108-minute, 15-rated sequel ramps up the carnage from 2019’s original. Samara Weaving returns as Grace, handcuffed to sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) while evading killers from Satan-worshipping clans in a vast mansion. Survivors claim world control. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood, and David Cronenberg cameo in the riotous, graphic thriller. Its 15 rating raises eyebrows amid intense violence.
Broken English: Marianne Faithfull’s Raw Legacy
A 99-minute, 15-rated documentary explores Marianne Faithfull’s turbulent life. Frail and oxygen-dependent, she reflects on 1960s glory with the Rolling Stones. Her charisma endures, blending whimsy, mischief, and deep emotion.
All films screen in theaters now.
