Watching movies — great movies — with my kids is one of my favourite family activities. I love sitting side-by-side engulfed by the big screen sharing the same experience: getting lost in a story.
There has been a lot of hype around Project Hail Mary, both leading up to its release and later with its delay on streaming platforms and extended stay in theatres. Before it was out in March 2026, I didn’t do too much research. Believe me, I like to dive deep on themes, actors and audience ratings before presenting it to my kids. Instead, I watched the trailer, which revealed a story about a scientist/high school teacher (Canadian actor Ryan Gosling) on an interstellar mission to save the Earth. It’s about space (checkmark for most kids), Ryan’s Gen-Z famous given his role in Barbie (check for the teens), and he’s a great (cute) actor (check for the moms.) It seemed like a rare find —- meaning, a film that would appeal to parents and their teens in TOw.
No doubt Ryan’s portrayal of Ryland Grace — smart and a bit goofy — hooked us all right from the start. The film really made high school science concepts seem fun and relatable and underlined the importance of teamwork, creative problem-solving, and being curious and courageous. All feel-goods for parents watching with their kids.
Because I didn’t do much research, I was surprised by the introduction of Rocky. (Wait — there’s an alien in this film? I really don’t like sci-fi or fantasy.) But the bond between the two characters got me, big time. It made me think of Cast Away (Tom Hanks’ character befriending Wilson the volleyball), but better. And the movie had the same heartfelt goodness like in E.T., another movie on my what-to-watch-with-the-kids list. (PS: in my subsequent research, we learned that Rocky was a puppet.)
At the end of movie, my kids immediately loved it. I thought it was good. I smiled a lot, I covered my eyes during moments when the characters were confronted with big physical and moral dilemmas, I even cried. My teen snuggled in next to me brought this to my attention. The absence of shoot ‘em visuals and romantic storylines (even though I do like a good love story) made it even more appealing as a family-friendly film.
In the days and weeks after the credits rolled, we were still thinking and talking about it. Project Hail Mary — the what if’s and the what-would-you-do scenarios — has been a conversation-starter on so many occasions.
And as parents of teens know, any opportunity to share an experience and a conversation with your teen is truly AMAZE.
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