Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction…but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.

A top-notch thriller coming from the directors (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller) of films such as The Lego Movie (2014) and 22 Jump Street (2014) might not be something that you expect to read, but rather surprisingly that’s what Project Hail Mary is.

At just over two and a half hours it might be a bit long and with more than a passing resemblance to other science fiction films, most noticeably The Martin (2015) which was penned by the same writer, Andy Weir, it never feels truly original. But other than that small gripe, and with terrific performances from Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hüller, Project Hail Mary comes highly recommended.