⚠️ This piece discusses parts of the story and may contain spoilers, despite an effort to keep them to a minimum.
Last year, I came across the trailer for Project Hail Mary and shared it in one of my channels, announcing that I had downloaded the novel but had not actually read it. I eventually forgot both the trailer and the translated book sitting on my hard drive. I had originally downloaded it after stumbling across promotional material describing it as being from the author of The Martian—a book I have not read either.
It was not until the end of March this year, when I saw someone share a screenshot praising the film adaptation, that I remembered the novel again. I spent the next few days reading the translation I had downloaded months earlier.
I liked the book quite a lot. It manages to be funny without sacrificing its scientific foundation, and the friendship between the two characters—if “friendship” is the right word for it—is genuinely moving. Apart from a few elements that might invite a joking comparison to Hannibal, the ending worked well for both Grace and me. It felt complete. Had the author chosen the opposite outcome, the story would have turned into a much crueler emotional blow, so I am very glad that did not happen.
After finishing the novel, I found myself absorbed in the idea of living alone on another planet with an alien companion. While quietly envying the relationship between Grace and Rocky, I also began wondering about details the book could only describe: What would Rocky actually look like? What would his voice sound like?
Fortunately—or perhaps because my memory is not especially reliable—that curiosity faded after a while. Then, about a week after I finished the book, Bilibili’s recommendation system somehow showed me a video posted by the film’s official account. Sony’s strategy was ruthlessly effective. My initial curiosity gradually became an increasingly urgent feeling that I had to see the movie, and I spent several days being unable to do much about it.
I had classes in the middle of the week and could not go immediately, which meant several more days of unnecessary internal struggle. Finally, on Friday, I bought a ticket and went to see the film that weekend.
Everything went smoothly. Once I sat down, I realized that I was the only person in the screening room. A private screening, more or less.
The film began a few minutes early and even skipped the opening sequence showing the various production companies. It was oddly considerate, although perhaps not entirely proper. In any case, the viewing experience itself was quite pleasant.
A streamlined adaptation
If the novel is the main branch of a software project, then the film feels like a branch devoted to simplifying—or outright deleting—features. It is a strange analogy, but it fits the experience.
The biggest loss comes from the limited running time. The novel spends a great deal of time on scientific details that make its problems feel concrete and its solutions satisfying. The film either leaves many of those details out or rushes through them. There may also have been a longer version somewhere around 157 minutes that was cut down to roughly 131 minutes, although I am not sure what another twenty-six minutes would have been enough to show. Even so, the compression is noticeable, especially when compared with how thoroughly the book develops its scientific ideas.
The film is much stronger when it comes to the friendship at its center. In fact, that part affected me even more than it did in the novel. Perhaps images simply have an easier time conveying certain emotions than words do. Or perhaps I am just wondering, quietly, why I do not have a friend like that.
Focusing on the most immediately compelling relationship in the story is understandable. The film gives the important moments enough weight, and the music and visuals provide the atmosphere they need. Rocky’s synthesized voice is particularly good—much more pleasant to listen to than I had expected. The editing, framing, and transitions are also remarkably smooth.
The plot has been changed in several places, but the central ideas remain intact. Like the novel, the film ultimately ends with Grace teaching the Eridians science. However, the film’s version is more open-ended. It also gives Grace a somewhat better future: at least the ship has been repaired, and he may still have a chance to return home. He does not appear to have aged all that much either.
But what about my meat burger?
There is also the question of Earth—and Stratt. I later looked into the ending and found that Stratt may have been sentenced to life imprisonment in the film. I completely failed to notice that while watching it. Still, the samples reached Earth, so the planet was presumably saved. That is at least a reasonably good outcome for everyone except Stratt herself.
The adaptation is sometimes hurried, and the reduction in scientific detail is disappointing. Nevertheless, it does not seem to have lost the story’s core. The themes and emotional foundation are still there, and I came away satisfied. I am curious to see what follows.
If I had to assign a score, I would take off one point for the frustration of not seeing the entire story completed. Everything else worked surprisingly well. Once the film becomes available on streaming, I may end up using some of its shots as wallpaper.
Amaze. Amaze. Amaze.