10 Best Movies Like Ryan Gosling's Project Hail Mary

One of the most anticipated movie releases of 2026 is "Project Hail Mary," based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Andy Weir. The movie stars Ryan Gosling as astronaut Ryland Grace, who is revived in the middle of an interstellar voyage. Suffering from temporary amnesia as he regains his senses, Ryland begins to recall who he is and why he's in space as the purpose of his mission comes into focus. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, "Project Hail Mary" has already been hailed as one of the best sci-fi movies ever.

For those interested in more science fiction movies with a clear humanist core to them, there is a lot to choose from. These range from similar stories about a small crew or lone individuals trying to survive in outer space to more bombastic explorations of the unknown. But for all the genre spectacle, these stories never lose sight of their characters' humanity, even as they delve deeper into the cosmos. 

These are the 10 best movies Ryan Gosling's "Project Hail Mary," for those looking to keep the sci-fi thrills coming.

The near-disaster involving the Apollo 13 mission that nearly derailed NASA in 1970 is the subject of filmmaker Ron Howard's 1995 movie "Apollo 13." Tom Hanks stars as mission commander Jim Lovell, joined by lunar module pilot Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and command module pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon). On an intended flight to land on the Moon, a tank on the ship explodes, making the lunar landing impossible and with rapidly diminishing resources to return home. The crew coordinates with scrambling NASA scientists on Earth led by flight director Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) to find a way to get the compromised vessel back safely.

There is a grounded verisimilitude to "Apollo 13," including zero gravity scenes that are more real than one might think when watching the film. This makes the stakes feel that more real as Lovell leads his crew to make their miraculous return to Earth in one piece. Each of the ensemble cast is at the top of their game, from a quintessential everyman performance from Hanks to a career-defining tough-as-nails Harris. A showcase of how teamwork and professionalism can overcome even the longest odds, "Apollo 13" is Howard's ultimate masterpiece.

Influential science author Carl Sagan's 1985 novel "Contact" was adapted into a thought-provoking sci-fi movie in 1997. The movie has scientist Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) listen to radio emissions from outer space in search of extraterrestrial life. When government funding is moved to be cut, Arroway's work is supported by enigmatic billionaire S.R. Hadden (John Hurt), allowing her to continue. However, when Arroway does find solid evidence of extraterrestrial existence, her work comes under intense scrutiny from the government and religious extremists.

Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis almost passed on directing "Contact," which became what currently stands as his arguably last unequivocal cinematic classic. What helps elevate "Contact" is that it's a story about faith, one not rooted in theology but in the belief that there is something more out there. Foster carries those themes with single-minded determination right through to an emotional scene as Arroway carries out her one-person mission to make first contact. Bringing a more mature philosophical approach to the genre than most Hollywood sci-fi fare, "Contact" is an underrated '90s project from its impressive cast and crew.

Filmmaker Danny Boyle shifted his usual terrestrially based stories to the wider solar system for his 2007 movie "Sunshine." Reuniting with screenwriter Alex Garland, Boyle's sci-fi film follows a desperate mission to reignite the Sun before Earth completely freezes over. An international crew mans the Icarus II as it carries a bomb to restart the Sun after a previous expedition failed its attempt seven years prior. As the ship nears the Sun, it causes catastrophic damage to the ship while the mounting pressure and desperation begins to affect each of the crew.

"Sunshine" features an absolutely stacked cast with many future Oscar winners and nominees filling out the crew of the Icarus II. The actors play together well and are all reliably good, particularly Cillian Murphy as the ship's physicist Robert Capa, whose primary responsibility is the deployment of the bomb. Boyle brings his usual stylish flair to the movie's visuals while the story is another smartly written sci-fi tale from Garland. Like "Project Hail Mary," "Sunshine" is about a last-ditch effort to save Earth, but one with a more graphic and cynical edge to its mission.

A found footage approach to outer space sci-fi, the 2013 movie "Europa Report" plays out like a thriller with a foregone conclusion. The movie chronicles the failed first manned expedition to the Jovian moon of Europa in search of extraterrestrial life. Six months into the journey, a solar storm severs all communication with Earth and claims the life of one of the crew attempting to make repairs. As the mission continues, the ship endures an increasingly harrowing set of disasters after they reach their destination and begin to explore the moon.

With its faux documentary presentation and spacesuit-mounted cameras, "Europa Report" certainly evokes classic footage horror films from the early 2000s. There is a clear sci-fi authenticity to the art design and story, however, rather than feeling like a cheap outer space twist on the sub-genre. That the cast is loaded primarily with character actors helps lend itself to that verisimilitude as the crew is forced to face extraordinary circumstances. A claustrophobic tale that puts terror back into the cosmic unknown, "Europa Report" is a sci-fi horror movie that many never saw.

There's just something captivating about a routine outer space mission that goes very wrong very quickly, and 2013's "Gravity" highlights that appeal. The movie stars Sandra Bullock as astronaut Ryan Stone, whose first outer space mission is upended when space debris tears through her space shuttle. Joined by the mission's only other survivor, Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), Ryan looks for a way to return to Earth. With the debris tearing through communications satellites and set to threaten them again, the duo move in their space suits with limited oxygen towards the International Space Station.

"Gravity" is a taut space thriller that mostly unfolds in real-time, keeping the audience fixated on Ryan's perilous orbital journey. Running for 91 minutes, there isn't an ounce of excess in its execution, with filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón crafting a thoroughly intense ride. Between the survivalist spectacle, there is plenty of humanity in the movie's quieter moments, embodied by Bullock's vulnerability and Clooney's easygoing charisma. One of Sandra Bullock's best movies, "Gravity" keeps the viewers' attention riveted from the beginning and never lets go.

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan's most cosmic adventure to date is the 2014 sci-fi movie "Interstellar," which he also co-wrote and produced. Like "Project Hail Mary," Nolan's story features a last-ditch effort for humanity to survive through an outer space mission, this time to find a planet capable of supporting human life. NASA test pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is recruited to lead the mission, traveling through a wormhole leading to another galaxy. Cooper and his crew search for a habitable planet while his adult daughter Murph (Jessica Chastain) develops a solution to mass-evacuate humanity from Earth.

Just like Cooper and his team, "Interstellar" marked Christopher Nolan taking a giant sci-fi swing from his usual comfort zone. The movie brought the big spacefaring set pieces but also a surprisingly deep emotional story behind its main characters. Essentially, the narrative is about a father trying to save his daughter, but in order to do so, he must leave her behind. But miraculously, they find a way to reconnect with through his mission. That's a deceptively sentimental message and one that's clearly visible through McConaughey's performance in several turning points in the film. Arguably the most underrated Nolan movie, "Interstellar" expands a family drama across its intergalactic scope to tremendous effect.

Prior to penning "Project Hail Mary," author Andy Weir wrote the best-selling 2011 novel "The Martian," which was adapted into a film in 2015. Directed and produced by Ridley Scott, the story takes place in a near-future where a joint international effort has established a research station on the surface of Mars. As the crew evacuates their base in the face of impending dust storm, astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is accidentally left behind and initially presumed dead. Using his scientific acumen as a botanist, Watney uses the limited supplies he has to survive until a rescue mission can be launched to take him back to Earth.

Andy Weir felt positively about the 2015 adaptation, giving it his seal of approval and specifically praising both Scott's direction and Damon's performance. That endorsement alone cements "The Martian" as a movie worth checking out for anyone who enjoyed "Project Hail Mary." Beyond receiving the author's blessing, so much of the movie revolves around its light-hearted charm, without diminishing the story's survivalist stakes. A tale of constant crises separated from Earth, "The Martian" is another celebration of the human spirit and determination in the face of the seemingly insurmountable.

If "Interstellar" represents Christopher Nolan at his most sentimental, the 2016 film "Arrival" provides a similar showcase for filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. The movie opens with a dozen opaque spacecraft hovering ominously over locations around the Earth, initially without any discernible attempt at communication. Linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is recruited to enter an extraterrestrial vessel hovering above Montana, joined by physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner). The duo work to decipher the aliens' strange circular written language, learning it stems from the extraterrestrials' perception of time while receiving visions of her late daughter.

Denis Villeneuve's "Arrival" is a brainy beauty with a beating heart, exploring the nature of connection and predestination versus free will. Many of the movies included on this list revolve around professionals excelling in their fields to solve complex problems, and this film is no exception. That complexity yields one heck of a twist, as Banks discovers the full scope of what she's witnessing, finally addressing the melancholy tone hanging over the movie. Another philosophical take on the sci-fi genre as thought-provoking as it is compelling, "Arrival" is Villeneuve's meditative masterpiece.

Ryan Gosling played a very different kind of astronaut in the 2018 biopic "First Man" by portraying Neil Armstrong. Directed and produced by Damien Chazelle, the movie opens with test pilot Armstrong losing his young daughter Karen before joining NASA's Gemini Program. As Armstrong participates in the increasingly ambitious space program, he is surrounded by harrowing incidents and the death of close colleagues in the line of duty. This culminates in Armstrong being named as the commander of the Apollo 11 mission and becoming the first man to walk on the moon.

Gosling cements himself as one of the finest actors today in "First Man," playing Armstrong as a withdrawn man with a lot of emotional turmoil under the stoic surface. This fits the movie workman-like approach to its subject, keeping the proceedings grounded and emphasizing how the nature of Armstrong's work takes a toll on his personal life. Claire Foy does incredible work playing Armstrong's wife Janet, providing a strong counterbalance to Gosling, while Chazelle's direction is laser-focused. "First Man" is ranked among Ryan Gosling's best movies, and anyone who enjoyed his astronaut turn in "Project Hail Mary" should check out the 2018 film next.

Michael Peña takes center stage in the 2023 biopic "A Million Miles Away," recounting the life of astronaut José M. Hernández. The son of Mexican migrant workers in California, Hernández (Peña) works as an engineer at a prestigious laboratory before applying to join NASA's space program. Despite initially struggling in the program due to issues outside of the training, Hernández perseveres and is selected for a space shuttle mission. Between his career, Hernández's personal life is explored, including his relationship with his wife Adela (Rosa Salazar) and lifelong encouragement from his teacher (Michelle Krusiec).

"A Million Miles Away" is a relatively straitlaced biopic, buoyed more by Peña's likeable lead performance than anything else. There is a poignant true story that drives the narrative forward, with outer space as the destination, not the journey. Rather than descending into cinematic schmaltz, the movie keeps its proceedings grounded and wisely focused on its main characters, avoiding putting them on a pedestal. An inspirational story about perseverance and realized potential, "A Million Miles Away" features standout work from Peña.