12 Must-Watch Movies For Fans Of Project Hail Mary
These are 10 films like Project Hail Mary you’ll definitely want to watch next. Project Hail Mary was an unexpected favourite for me as I hadn’t read the book before and went into it completely blindly.
I liked the plot of this movie a lot as it revolves around friendship and it isn’t too confusing. I had no idea just how much I’d enjoy it, as it’s quirky and funny. Ryan Gosling is fantastic in this film.
Project Hail Mary includes some great moments, including the iconic quotes said, such as “fist my bump” to “amaze.” If you’re anything like me, you’re probably still thinking about it. But if you’re genuinely curious to find movies like Project Hail Mary, read this post.
Rundown of Project Hail Mary – What you need to know:
- Genre: Science Fiction / Adventure
- Stars: Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace
- Runtime: 2 hours and 36 minutes
- Creators: Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Screenplay by Drew Goddard
- Release date: 2026
- Where to watch (UK): Amazon Prime
What is Project Hail Mary about?
In this film, we follow a science teacher named Ryland Grace. He’s incredibly smart but also quite awkward. Grace is a teacher and seemingly has no capability of being an astronaut. Or so he believed.
He is then tasked with heading into space on a mission to save the entire planet. Ryland knows a lot about science, but he also lacks confidence and doesn’t exactly have the practical engineering or piloting skills to see him through the mission.
He’s thrown into the deep end and he begins desperately learning how to survive, and encounters alien lifeform. The two soon form an unbreakable bond.
Now, here are movies just like it that you should watch next:
Interstellar
- Genre: Sci-fi / Adventure
- Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway
- Runtime: 169 minutes
- Creators: Driected by Christopher Nolan, Written by Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan, and Produced by Emma Thomas
- Relase date: 2014
- Where to watch (UK): Amazon Prime Video
Interstellar became a huge sci-fi hit when it was released in 2014. It also features an outstanding cast, including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, and Michael Caine. It’s an incredibly strong film from Christopher Nolan. It even won an Academy Award in 2015 for Best Visual Effects.
The Martian
- Genre: Sci-fi / Adventure
- Star: Matt Damon
- Runtime: 2 hours 31 minutes
- Creators: Drew Goddard (screenwriter) and Andy Weir (author of the novel), with Ridley Scott directing
- Release date: 2015
- Where to watch: (UK): Disney+, Amazon Prime Video
The Martian is adapted from a book by Andy Weir. Starring Matt Damon, it follows an astronaut who is determined to make it back home after a space mission. Damon plays Dr. Mark Watney, a botanist and mechanical engineer who’s part of the Ares III mission to Mars and ends up being stranded there alone. The film is about hope, loneliness, and determination in the face of disaster.
Oblivion
- Genre: Sci-fi / Action
- Stars: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman
- Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes
- Creators: Directed by and based on a story by Joseph Kosinski, with the screenplay written by Karl Gajdusek and Michael Arndt
- Release date: 2013
- Where to watch (UK): Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
Oblivion is a 2013 film starring none other than Hollywood star Tom Cruise. Set in a post-apocalyptic world after an alien war, Cruise plays Jack Harper, a technician maintaining drones on a damaged Earth. During his missions, he begins to uncover secrets that make him question everything he knows.
Gravity
- Genre: Thriller/ Sci-fi
- Stars: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
- Runtime: 2 hours 31 minutes
- Creators: Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jonás Cuarón
- Release date: 2013
- Where to watch (UK): Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
Sandra Bullock helms this incredibly moving and heroic space film. The actress plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer. The film tackles space disasters, with Stone facing a terrifying life-or-death situation. It is an Oscar Award-winning film, with nods under its belt from Outstanding British Film to Best Director.
Arrival
- Genre: Thriller / Sci-Fi
- Stars: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
- Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes
- Creators: Directed by Denis Villeneuve, with the screenplay written by Eric Heisserer, based on the short story Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang
- Release date: 2016
- Where to watch (UK): Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
Arrival is a popular space movie from 2016. The premise of this movie is about humans trying to communicate with aliens who come to Earth. Amy Adams stars in the film, and she gives a strong and emotional performance, even though it’s different from her usual roles.
Passengers
- Genre: Thriller / Sci-Fi
- Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt
- Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes
- Creators: Directed by Morten Tyldum, with the screenplay written by Jon Spaihts
- Release date: 2016
- Where to watch (UK): Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
Passengers is a space-set film that follows two characters who wake up 90 years too early from hibernation on a spaceship travelling to a distant colony. The film includes themes of loneliness, survival, and unexpected companionship. It stars Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt and was released in 2016.
The Midnight Sky
- Genre: Sci-fi, drama, post-apocalyptic thriller
- Stars: George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, Tiffany Boone
- Runtime: 1 hour 58 minutes
- Creators: The film was directed by George Clooney, with the screenplay written by Mark L. Smith, based on the novel Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton
- Release date: 2020
- Where to watch (UK): Netflix
The Midnight Sky follows a lone scientist stationed in the Arctic as he races against time to warn a returning spacecraft of a mysterious global catastrophe. It is directed by George Clooney. This is great viewing for fans of Project Hail Mary or for first-time viewers of sci-fi.
Ad Astra
- Genre: Science fiction, drama, mystery, thriller
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland
- Runtime: 2 hours 3 minutes
- Creators: Directed by James Gray, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ethan Gross
- Release date: 2019
- Where to watch (UK): Amazon Prime Video
This film stars none other than Hollywood star Brad Pitt, playing Roy Richard McBride. Ad Astra has a strange yet interesting plot, following an astronaut who travels into space in search of his lost father. During his journey, Roy is also curious to discover alien life, but everything goes completely wrong. It film is loosely inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and was originally set to take place on Saturn. However, the location was changed to Neptune.
Sunshine
- Genre: Thriller / Sci-Fi
- Stars: Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose Byrne
- Runtime: 1 hour 47 minutes
- Creators: Directed by Danny Boyle, with the screenplay written by Alex Garland
- Release date: 2007
- Where to watch (UK): Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
Sunshine is a sci-fi thriller released in 2007. The plot revolves around a team of astronauts on a dangerous mission to reignite the dying sun and save Earth from a frozen future. It is a good film for those interested in natural disasters. The movie stars a young Cillian Murphy, who later became known for his roles in Peaky Blinders and Oppenheimer. It also stars Chris Evans and Rose Byrne, along with other cast members.
Moon
- Genre: Sci-Fi / Psychological Thriller
- Stars: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott, Kaya Scodelario, Benedict Wong
- Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes
- Creators: Directed by Duncan Jones, with the screenplay written by Nathan Parker from a story by Duncan Jones
- Release date: 2009
- Where to watch (UK): Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
This film follows a man’s solo trip to space. In the Moon, we follow Sam Bell (played by Sam Rockwell). He is an employee working at a lunar station. He experiences a personal crisis as he nears the end of a three-year solitary stint mining helium-3 on the far side of the Moon.
Contact
- Genre: Sci-Fi / Drama
- Stars: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Skerritt
- Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Creators: Directed by Robert Zemeckis, with the screenplay written by James V. Hart and Michael Goldenberg, based on the novel by Carl Sagan
- Release date: 2007
- Where to watch (UK): Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
Contact is a sci-fi flick starring Matthew McConaughey, Jodie Foster, and James Woods. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it is based on the 1985 novel by Carl Sagan. Essentially, it follows a group of scientists who encounter aliens and attempt to make contact with them.
Europa Report
- Genre: Sci-Fi / Drama
- Stars: Sharlto Copley, Embeth Davidtz, Michael Nyqvist
- Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Creators: Directed by Sebastián Cordero, with the screenplay written by Philip Gelatt
- Release date: 2013
- Where to watch (UK): Tubi, Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video and Sky Store
Europa Report is a sci-fi drama about a crew of astronauts on a mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa, after signs point to possible life beneath its icy surface. Told through recovered footage, the film follows the team as they face equipment failures and mounting danger, yet continue their mission—ultimately discovering they may not be alone beneath the ice.
