Project Hail Mary

Waking light years from Earth with no idea who you are is a good opening; waking to discover the sun is dying and you are the plan is a better one. The film follows a science teacher, Ryland Grace, piecing together his own identity and his mission at roughly the same rate the audience does, which makes the recovery of memory and the solving of the problem into a single forward motion. It is science fiction of the puzzle-box kind, where thinking clearly is the heroism and improvisation is the only weapon aboard.

That makes it ideal for viewers who like their space stories grounded in problem-solving, curiosity and hard-won competence rather than combat. Expect a generous running time used well, with the scale of the stakes balanced against the intimacy of one person working things out alone. Anyone who enjoys smart, humane science fiction with a streak of wonder in it should clear an evening. A confident recommendation for people who like being asked to keep up.