8 Months Later, 2026’s Best Sci-Fi Movie Is Still Impossible to Top

*Project Hail Mary*, starring Ryan Gosling, has remained the year’s standout science-fiction film eight months after its March release. The article argues that its success comes from putting an affecting friendship at the centre of a grounded space adventure, helping draw audiences back to cinemas.

In the film, teacher and scientist Ryland Grace is sent on a one-way mission to find a way to stop microscopic bacteria from dimming the Sun. After his crewmates die, he meets Rocky, a rock-like alien trying to save its own planet; overcoming their communication barrier, the pair work together and grow close. The article contrasts the film’s heartfelt story, humour and practical puppetry with big-budget adventures that rely on familiar jokes or spectacle.