Project Hail Mary is a beloved sci-fi book, with its adaptation making it to the big screen. An incredible story of friendship (yes, between a human and a rock), Project Hail Mary also teaches lessons of human connection and sacrifice. Is Project Hail Mary kid friendly? The length of the film at over 2 1/2 hours may be the biggest issue for kids under 12. Here’s what parents need to know.
Project Hail Mary Parents Guide
Science teacher/biologist Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) is one day teaching middle school students and the next is recruited to assist with a global problem of a dimming sun. As he tries to figure out the sun’s threat, he 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, we get flashbacks of how he got to Project Hail Mary. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction and finds an unlikely friend and ally in Rocky, a rock from another planet.
Project Hail Mary Age Rating
Project Hail Mary is rated PG-13 for thematic material and some suggestive references which means some content may not be suitable for kids under 13.
Parents need to know that some content is mature with some disturbing images, but there is no nudity or extreme sexual material.
Language
Language is pretty mild including words like hell, stupid, piss, and several uses of “oh my g-d.”
Scary Content and Violence
There are a couple of jump scares and fear of the unknown with possible stakes of extinction. Images of dead bodies are shown. There is a scene of a character being chased, held against their will and forced into a coma.
Mature Content
Suicide is mentioned. Themes of grief, loneliness, and world starvation are explored. Some characters drink alcohol. Some characters flirt.
Is Project Hail Mary Appropriate for Kids Under 12?
For kids who love space and are critical thinkers, Project Hail Mary is a win for them. However, for those needing constant action, then this may be a skip. With a runtime of 2 hours and 36 minutes, Project Hail Mary is kid friendly for ages 12 and older. I’d also recommend it for kids ages 10 and older who enjoy films like Interstellar. Some parts can be repetitive and anti-climactic. As entertaining and heartfelt as it may be, it certainly did not need to be stretched out this much. For those who can handle the length, it’s a wonderful family sci-fi flick.
The magic of the film lies with the friendship between Ryland Grace and Rocky. Two lonely individuals with a common goal forges a pathway to a buddy dramedy. Who knew I could root so hard for a rock? The story’s humor and wit cuts through some of the heaviness and emotional load with grace – literally. Gosling as Scientist Grace really shines with his toned down nerdy likability. Gosling has a natural likability in his good guy characters, but unlike his usual Kenergy, with Grace we really see his struggle on wanting to make the right choice.
Other than length of the film, my other issue was Gosling’s perfect hair cut in space. Yes, I know he had a robot, but come on.
Project Hail Mary delivers on hope and humanity and is a fantastic cinematic experience for the family. Book nerds and movie lovers, unite, because Project Hail Mary is a winner. But the book is still better.