This post was updated April 2 at 8:23 p.m.

Warning: spoilers ahead.

All hail “Project Hail Mary,” a faithful and stellar adaptation of its source material.

Derived from Andy Weir’s 2021 science fiction novel of the same name, “Project Hail Mary” from directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller landed in theaters March 20. The story follows science teacher and former molecular biologist Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) as he investigates the Tau Ceti solar system aboard the Hail Mary for solutions to an alien microorganism – Astrophage – which is eating light from Earth’s sun. Alternating between Grace’s flashbacks to his interactions with Project Hail Mary executive Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) and his discovery of the alien Eridian, named “Rocky” (James Ortiz), the film illuminates all the emotional waypoints of the novel with a technological fervor that propels any sci-fi thriller.

“Project Hail Mary” wastes no time in piloting viewers through Grace’s amnesic mental state as the last surviving crew member of a suicide mission. Gosling delivers a charismatic performance worthy of his versatile filmography, communicating Grace’s idiosyncrasies with a bag of vodka and uncooked ramen while excavating somber emotional depths when sending the dead crewmates out of the airlock. Behind every flippant wisecrack or silent revelation is another exploration of the pendulum of Grace’s character swinging between cowardice and self-sacrifice, which Gosling fully captures.

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The depictions of side characters are also nothing short of “Amaze, amaze, amaze!” The fan-favorite, Rocky, is brought to life by Ortiz’s dynamic puppeteering and voice-acting, and Hüller blends moral complexity with Stratt’s mystique. Changes to the personalities of Project Hail Mary leaders, staff and scientists render them more personable and empathetic. A standout addition to the film is the character of Officer Carl (Lionel Boyce), whose Astrophage experiments with Grace serve as a reminder that earnest and collaborative science is the story’s beating heart.

In terms of the science itself, some viewers might miss the sheer nerdiness of Weir’s novel, which is de-emphasized by the filmmakers’ reasonable decision to prioritize immediate clarity. For instance, they cut down on the calculations and plot twists that take Grace to the information readily provided in the film’s exposition. Less time is spent dwelling upon the biological minutiae of the Astrophage, Rocky’s species, and the Taumoeba breeding, the latter mentioned only in passing as the film’s final source of conflict.

In turn, however, the film takes the opportunity to explain these concepts succinctly and comedically in the characters’ voices – for example, Grace describes the Astrophage’s ability to move by outputting light as “they toot to scoot.” A dorky love for science is also repackaged into costume design choices, such as Grace’s terribly cheesy T-shirts that say, “I wear this shirt periodically” and “I used to have potential” with images of the periodic table and a potential energy graph, respectively. The film establishes itself as a character-driven narrative while still accomplishing the feat of fitting every major breakthrough of a 500-page novel into two hours and 36 minutes of run time.

After its setup, “Project Hail Mary” executes a series of rewarding pay-offs. In particular, Grace and Rocky’s interspecies friendship is accompanied by powerful demonstrations of mutuality as they cross their language barrier, exchange details about their personal lives and combine their expertise in biology and engineering. The scene of Rocky offering fuel to send Grace home feels poignant and whole after experiencing an hour of their strengthening bond. The emotional climax wrenches gasps from the theater audience as the unthinkable becomes a necessity – Grace cutting his safety tether to catch the fishing contraption and Rocky breaking his xenonite enclosure to save Grace.

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These are undoubtedly the images that will remain stark in the minds of viewers, along with the harrowing track of “Time Go Fishing” by Daniel Pemberton and the strobe lighting choices that accentuate every second of crisis. For a film centered around starlight and light-eating microorganisms, “Project Hail Mary” employs visually stunning effects for planet Adrian’s burning atmosphere and incorporates vivid works of real astrophotography in the end credits. Another striking element is the usage of the Hail Mary’s centrifugal gravity mode to filter in light from Tau Ceti, artfully illustrating the passage of time as Grace waits for the sleeping Rocky.

Not everything about the film is loud, witty and heroic – just as moving is Grace’s implicit character development from an anthropocentric perspective of Rocky’s customs to ready assimilation into life on Erid. Language plays a major role in this shift, as Grace imposes English names upon planets and organisms before coming to understand the Eridian “whale song” language without translation in the ending scene. Perhaps more explicit emphasis could be placed upon overthrowing Grace’s initial bigotry about the Eridians’ lengthy names and “exotic” eating habits, which were the butt of several uncomfortable jokes. Nonetheless, the film expresses a clear intention to dismantle interspecies and intercultural prejudices, which is particularly apt for today’s environmental and political climate.

“Project Hail Mary” is a work that understands its position in the science fiction genre and seeks to design the most cathartic experience for viewer expectations. There is little originality in the concepts of a lone astronaut stranded in space or an intelligent alien species that cannot parse human sarcasm, but this film shows how these common tropes can be successful when executed well. And the film executes them well – with all the hope and authenticity it can muster.

As both an adaptation and a stand-alone film, “Project Hail Mary” casts an infectious ray of optimism on old and new fans alike.