The Gonzo Wolf

Tonight, the queen and I ventured back to Alamo Drafthouse Cedars to keep from doom-scrolling war footage. The on-screen presence was quite clear in his pre-show presentation that we weren’t allowed to use our phones during the film, unless we needed to report someone using their phone. Read that twice. At least they understood their faux pas and added a joke regarding the irony.

It’s nice to see a business in 2026 with a sense of humor. I mean, the way theater ticket sales have sunk since the pandemic (showing no signs of recovery), laughter is about the only enjoyable thing you can do with those stats.

This was a sold-out show at 7pm on a Friday night. The last time I attended such a movie was “Sinners”. It went on to win four Oscars and was easily my favorite film of last year. I had my fingers crossed that Ryan Gosling would take me there once more. Where?

That reclusive, Cinematic G Spot that only hits about once per year.

Let’s see what the fine folks at Wikipedia have to say about this film:

Project Hail Mary is a 2026 American science fiction adventure film produced and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and written by Drew Goddard, based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir. It stars Ryan Gosling (who also produced the film), Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, and Lionel Boyce. The film follows the story of Ryland Grace, a man who awakens on an interstellar spacecraft with no memory of how he came to be there.

Project Hail Mary premiered in London on March 9, 2026, and was released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios on March 20, 2026. The film received positive reviews from critics, and has grossed $12 million.

The Rev-iew:

For me, this film had several things stacked against it before it even began.

1. I don’t care for Gosling. I don’t dislike him, but I don’t like him either. I would never go see anything just because he was in it, but he was pretty funny in the Barbie film. For the record, I will go see Margot Robbie without question. If aliens are real, I can imagine she is one. She and Anya-Taylor Joy. Maybe Bjork from the mid-90’s.
2. The Amazon Logo flashed across the screen first thing out the gate. Streaming service studios are hit or miss with me. They always feel like…streaming movies, if you understand the point I’m trying to make. Some of them feel like K-Mart movies. Go-Bots. Wal-Mart dollar-bin madness at 3am, you’re high on weed, and you only went there to get Sour Cream and Onion Chips and a Mountain Dew.
3. I’m sure there’s a third one that will come to me tomorrow; long after I’ve published this review.

Regardless, three-strikes are the wrong way to begin a film. Baseball rules.

My bad. I couldn’t hate it if I tried.

This is by far the best film of 2026 so far, and the best film I’ve seen since “Sinners” thirteen months ago. It must be seen with someone you love – friend or mate – and it must be seen on a big screen. You will hate yourself if you wait for streaming which, by my logic, will be soon. Amazon made the freaking film.

Based on what I’ve heard is a brilliant sci-fi novel, I was hooked from the first scene. The story (rumored to be one of the more faithful book-to-film adaptions) never let my chin hit the ground as I metaphorically floated toward the cinematic equivalent to the pie cooling upon the window sill; the credits.

There was laughter to be had from beginning to end in that famous Ryan Gosling, dumb-blonde delivery. There were also several moments of tears to be had for men and women alike in the darkness of the packed theater. Equally, there were several scenes scattered throughout the crying and laughter portions to insert elements of danger powerful enough for my buttocks to gnaw the seat beneath me. At a hefty two hours and thirty-six minutes, I was never not invested.

For science fiction freaks, this may be the most original, intelligent, and visually impressive film since James Cameron’s “The Abyss”. I’m a sucker for traditional special effects in science fiction and horror, and I believe the alien, Rocky, was done without CGI.

As someone who looks to the sky with every waking moment and hopes someone is looking back, this film was a breath of fresh air. The Spielberg alien film on the horizon, “Disclosure Day”, is putting off major bad alien vibes. I needed to see something with a friendly alien. Let’s face it; if they’ve been watching our television broadcasts over the last seven or so decades, I’m sure they don’t care for how they were portrayed on film. We don’t need to be giving them any damned ideas. War of the Worlds had a happy-ish ending, but it sure sucked getting from point A to point B.

This is a stunning, heartwarming film that takes you on a journey minus franchise-fodder. You will laugh until you cry, and then cry until you laugh at the person next to you for crying. Take a smart chick to see this film and she’ll probably be losing those sexy progressive-lenses at some point for some face-time nudge-nudge. Project Hail Mary is straight-up nerd porn in it’s purest form, and my first five-star review of 2026.

5/5, and you’ll never guess the end.