Genre: Drama
Director: Chang Hang-jun
Cast: Yoo Hai-Jin, Park Ji-Hoon, Yoo Ji-Tae, Jeon Mi-Do
Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins
Rating: TBA
Released By: Golden Village 
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 9 April 2026

Synopsis: “Now, where am I to go…?” In the wake of a violent political coup that shakes the Joseon dynasty, King Yi Hong-wi is dethroned and sent into exile. “No matter what it takes, we must have him come to our village.” Meanwhile, in the remote mountain village of Gwangchungol in Yeongwol, village chief Eom Heung-do struggles to provide for his people. Hoping to revive the village, he volunteers Cheongnyeongpo as a place of exile, believing it will bring great fortune. However, the man he welcomes is not a powerful noble, but the young, dethroned king, Yi Hong-wi. Tasked as the warden responsible for the exile, Eom Heung-do must watch Yi Hong-wi’s every move. As days pass, however, he grows increasingly concerned by the boy who has lost the will to live. The story of Cheongnyeongpo, 1457, that history tried to erase.

Movie Review:

COMING SOON

Movie Rating:

SYNOPSIS: An action-packed thriller where five ballerinas, stranded in a remote forest on their way to a dance competition, take shelter at an unsettling roadside inn run by Devora Kasimer and must weaponize their elite training to survive.

MOVIE REVIEW:

How did an elegant dance form like ballet become such a violent tool in modern cinema? It arguably began with the John Wick franchise and its spin-off, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina.

87North Productions, the outfit behind those films, returns with Pretty Lethal, a brutal action movie that blends ballet with fight choreography. If that sounds absurd, don’t worry, this isn’t the kind of film that demands deep thinking. It’s loud, ridiculous, and unapologetically over-the-top like Donald Trump’s daily ramblings, but far more entertaining.

The story follows five young American ballerinas traveling to Budapest for a competition. When their bus breaks down, they seek refuge in a rundown hotel in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, the place is crawling with eccentric criminals led by an ex-ballerina, Devora Kasimer (Uma Thurman). Trapped and outnumbered, the girls must put aside their differences and fight their way out or risk a far more horrific fate.

Pretty Lethal is, above all, a fun watch, thanks largely to the cast’s chemistry especially between Maddie Ziegler’s Bones and Lana Condor’s Princess. The two start off at odds but eventually emerge as the group’s leaders against enemies twice their size. Ziegler impresses with her swift spins and kicks, while Condor brings some welcome (and occasionally unintentional) humor.

Rising talents like Iris Apatow, Millicent Simmonds (from A Quiet Place), and Avantika round out the main cast, though they receive less screen time compared to Ziegler and Condor. Thurman is suitably imposing as the main antagonist, even if her Hungarian accent borders on cheesy.

Ultimately, this is a film that leans heavily on creative, gory kills and stylized action to compensate for its paper-thin plot. Even with side characters like a mysterious young man, Pasha (Tamás Szabó Sipos), his unseen crime boss father until the very end, a creepy doctor, and a troupe of bumbling henchmen, the narrative never quite matches the thrill of watching ballerinas dispatch enemies with razor blades hidden in their ballet shoes.

Instead of a straight-up torture-horror flick, Pretty Lethal delivers an outrageous action spectacle featuring not one, but five deadly ballerinas. The plot may be half-baked, but the absurd stunts and inventive fight sequences more than make up for it.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Drama
Director: Shu Qi
Cast: Roy Chiu, 9m88, Bai Xiao Ying, Audrey Lin
Runtime: 2 hr 4 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 16 April 2026

Synopsis: In her debut behind the camera, Shu Qi unveils a delicate portrait of generational trauma and resilience. Taiwan, 1988. Hsiao-lee, a quiet and withdrawn girl, grows up in silent gloom. Her encounter with Li-li, vibrant and carefree, reawakens long-buried dreams. But just as she begins to open up to the world, her mother Chuan's past resurfaces, echoing her own pain. Caught between inherited sorrow and a longing for freedom, Hsiao-lee must navigate the shadows of a life she never chose.

Movie Review:

COMING SOON

Movie Rating:

SYNOPSIS: MELANIA offers unprecedented access to the 20 days leading up to the 2025 Presidential Inauguration — through the eyes of the First Lady herself. Step inside Melania Trump's world as she orchestrates inauguration plans, navigates the complexities of the White House transition, and moves her family back to the Nation’s Capital. With exclusive footage capturing critical meetings, private conversations, and never-before-seen environments, MELANIA showcases Mrs. Trump’s return to one of the world’s most powerful roles.

MOVIE REVIEW:

There are many documentaries out there that touch on controversial subjects, but there has rarely been one in recent times that has received as much flak and attention as Melania, the whopping $40 million documentary commissioned by First Lady Melania Trump and produced by Amazon MGM Studios.

Melania, in short, covers the weeks before the second inauguration of Donald Trump. As Melania herself explains, it is the period in which she transitions from a civilian back into the role of First Lady for the second time. This is exactly the moment where you would expect a deep dissection of the world she is about to re-enter. However, this is where everything starts to go haywire much like Trump’s frequent incoherent ramblings and decision-making.

The entire 105-minute documentary feels like a compilation of Melania’s “best moments.” From meeting her fashion designer for her inauguration dress, to attending the state funeral of Jimmy Carter, to meeting Queen Rania. These brief moments offer nothing particularly spectacular or meaningful. At best, her conversations remain broad and noticeably empty.

Irony seems to be a recurring theme. In one scene, Melania Trump video-calls Brigitte Macron to discuss education and the integration of artificial intelligence in classrooms. Given that Donald Trump had recently made a snide remark about her marriage to the French president, it leaves us wondering just how awkward future exchanges between the two might be. It certainly is not going to be pleasant.

Melania also touches on the topic of immigration. Her interior designer, Tham Kannalikham, is originally from Laos, and Melania herself speaks about her parents, who were from the former Yugoslavia. Yet again, this sits in contrast with her husband’s stance, particularly his push to remove birthright citizenship in an attempt to curb illegal immigration.

The biggest irony comes at the end, where Trump speaks about being a peacemaker and a unifier, something Melania encourages him to emphasise. The statement feels especially jarring when placed against recent geopolitical developments, making the message ring hollow.

Melania is unlikely to go down well in history not because it is directed by the disgraced Brett Ratner or because it features multiple cinematographers for no reason but because of the very point of the documentary itself. In the end, we learn almost nothing new about Melania Trump, aside from her genuine affection for her late mother.

A deeper portrait of the First Lady? Not at all. A lavish PR exercise to show she is doing something behind the scenes? Perhaps. The end credits summarise her accomplishments in mere seconds raising the question of why it took 105 minutes and $40 million to say so little.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: 1916. As war rages on the Western Front, the Choral Society in Ramsden, Yorkshire has lost most of its men to the army. The Choral’s ambitious committee, determined to press ahead, decides to recruit local young males to swell their ranks. They must also engage a new chorus master, and despite their suspicions that he has something to hide, their best bet seems to be Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) – driven, uncompromising, and recently returned from a career in Germany. As conscription papers start to arrive, the whole community discovers that the best response to the chaos that is laying waste to their lives is to make music together.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Set against the backdrop of WWI, The Choral tells the story of a choir that enlists the help of townspeople for a performance of English composer Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius.

Numerous problems arise. First is the recruitment of Dr Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes), a closeted homosexual and noted Germanophile, to replace the choirmaster who has opted to join the army. Second is the lack of male singers, forcing Guthrie to recruit from the local pub. Then there is the conscription of Guthrie’s pianist, Robert (Robert Emms), as well as the issue of the choir’s chairman, Duxbury (Roger Allam), who is deemed unsuitable to play the lead.

Director Nicholas Hytner and his screenwriting partner Alan Bennett keep things moving, ensuring the story has enough plot to carry it to the climactic performance. Unfortunately, not all the characters and subplots are given a satisfying telling or resolution. Guthrie, although positioned as the main lead with a colourful past and present, fails to stand out. Even with Fiennes’ flawless acting (but of course), the character gets lost as Hytner and Bennett juggle too many themes and stories.

There is a subplot about three young men who are about to be recruited into the war. They are curious, worried and, most of all, desperate to lose their virginities. One is in love with Salvation Army member Mary Lockwood (Amara Okereke), while another is smitten with the town’s sex worker, Mrs Bishop (Lyndsey Marshal). It’s a meaningful subplot, especially in a time where things are bleak, faith is questionable and the future is unknown.

Besides that, there is the obligatory story of a young soldier, Clyde (Jacob Dudman), who returns home having lost a limb, only to find his girlfriend with a new boyfriend. It’s the kind of misfortune we’ve seen before. The Choral is filled with such old-fashioned messages and stories from the townsfolk, which often distract from the main musical thread.

However, even with all the familiarities, it remains a joyous and moving viewing experience. As with any British period piece, the cinematography and production design are a delight to behold. There’s plenty of singing (as expected), plenty of humanity, and a poignant look at the consequences of war.

It’s a low-key historical drama with its only pity being that we don’t get to see more of Fiennes.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director:  Yong Choon Lin, Goh Pei Chiek
Cast: Kao Supassara, Philip Keung, Bront Palarae, Glenn Yong, Yumi Wong, Ma Yi Duo, Eric Lay, Tony Eusoff, Freddie Wong, Dato' Chiah Chye Kee 
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Rating: NC16 (Disturbing Scenes & Some Sexual References)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 
Opening Day: 19 March 2026

Synopsis: Years after a horrifying incident in which a group of students mysteriously died at a school, the case was officially ruled a poisoning and quickly buried. But Fon, a determined journalist, believes something far darker was responsible. Convinced that black magic lies behind the tragedy, she begins an investigation that leads her into a shadowy world of curses, occult rituals, and hidden conspiracies. Her search soon intersects with four online video creators who travel to Thailand to explore local temples and supernatural folklore. Shortly after returning home, they begin experiencing terrifying accidents and unexplained deaths, leading Fon to suspect that they have become victims of a powerful curse. As the mystery deepens, Fon uncovers a sinister scheme involving a ruthless property developer who secretly uses black magic to terrorize villagers and seize valuable land. With the help of a revered monk who once confronted the sorcerer responsible, Fon and her allies must confront the forces behind the curse before more lives are lost…

Movie Review:

In Southeast Asia, few things are as deeply unsettling as the idea of being cursed by black magic — or “kong tao.” Rooted in regional folklore and whispered about in cautionary tales, it carries a uniquely visceral fear: the sense that something unseen can invade your body, warp your mind, and unravel your life from within. It’s a premise rich with cultural resonance, and on paper, Kong Tao, directed by Yong Choon Lin and Goh Pei Chiek, seems perfectly poised to tap into that primal dread for regional audiences.

The story follows a group of YouTubers (but of course) whose investigations into the region’s black magic activities takes a sinister turn after an encounter that invites something far more dangerous than they realise. Elsewhere, there is a Thai reporter determined to find out the truth behind a series of grisly incidents, and she pairs up with an expert in the research of black magic in Malaysia to uncover a scandal.

Where the film truly succeeds is in its sensory assault. The depiction of the curse is unflinching and often grotesque — crawling bugs, uncontrollable vomiting, streaks of blackened blood. It’s the kind of horror that feels almost tangible, as though you can smell the rot and decay through the screen. These sequences make the viewing experience uncomfortable in the most effective way.

Beyond the visual horror, Kong Tao also plays on a more psychological level. It quietly instils a sense of caution. You may find yourself thinking twice about picking up unfamiliar religious objects while travelling, making flippant remarks in sacred spaces, or even engaging too casually with strangers. The idea that something small and seemingly harmless could invite something sinister is one of the film’s most effective takeaways.

Unfortunately, the film’s strengths are undercut by uneven performances. Philip Keung delivers a solid turn but is given little to work with, making his presence amounting to nothing more than intense stares and fierce scowls. Glenn Yong fares similarly, with a role that never quite develops. Ma Yi Duo injects some comedic beats that momentarily lift the tension, while Eric Lay is convincingly sleazy as a smooth-talking opportunist whose intentions are anything but pure. On the other hand, Kao Supassara and Yumi Wong struggle with dialogue that often feels stiff and unnatural. Veteran Mark Lee brings a degree of credibility to his role as an unscrupulous property developer, grounding the film whenever he appears.

The multinational casting cannot fully compensate for some of the film’s structural issues. Certain sequences — particularly the climactic showdown between two masters of opposing forces — feel overly drawn out and are hampered by unsatisfactory CGI. Instead of amplifying the horror, these moments dilute the tension that the film works so hard to build.

In the end, Kong Tao is a film with a genuinely chilling core that occasionally loses its grip. When it leans into its cultural fears and visceral imagery, it is deeply effective. But inconsistent performances and overstretched set pieces prevent it from reaching its full terrifying potential.

Movie Rating:

(A chilling premise strong in atmosphere and imagery, though uneven performances and overstretched set pieces hold it back)

Review by John Li 

Genre: Sport/Comedy
Director:  Han Han
Cast: Shen Teng, Andrew Yin, Huang Jingyu, Zhang Benyu, Wei Xiang, Sha Yi, Fan Chengcheng, Sun Yizhou 
Runtime: 2 hr 6 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 26 March 2026

Synopsis: After the final showdown at Bayanbulak, legendary champion driver Zhang Chi (starring Shen Teng) takes on a brand-new role when he is invited to serve as the head coach of a racing team competing in the newly launched “Muchen 100 Rally.” The once “wild” racer now finds himself stepping onto the international stage. Facing a new circuit filled with elite competitors, Zhang’s longtime teammates Sun Yuqiang (starring Yin Zheng) and Ji Xing (starring Zhang Benyu) continue to stand by his side. Meanwhile, top racers including Lin Zhendong (starring Huang Jingyu) join the competition, forming a formidable team united by speed, ambition, and belief. But Zhang soon realizes that the real challenge may not lie on the race track itself. Beneath the surface, unseen forces are already in motion—turning their road to victory into a journey filled with uncertainty and unexpected twists…

Movie Review:

Pegasus 3, the third entry in Han Han’s racing franchise, has surged ahead of its competitors including Yuen Woo Ping’s Blades of the Guardians and Jackie Chan’s Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe at the recent Chinese New Year box office in China.

For those who have been following Shen Teng’s rally driver Zhang Chi, he returns once again this time making a modest living as a mechanic after being crowned the “King of Bayanbulak.” At the urging of his trusty navigator Sun Yuqiang (Yin Zheng), Chi initially plans to settle down. However, an unexpected invitation from a major corporation, SKYLAD, pulls him back into the racing world.

Entrusted by SKYLAD’s top executive Bai Qiang (Sha Yi), Chi is given the opportunity to form a national team and handpick his teammates for the high-altitude endurance event, the Muchen 100 Rally. However, things are not as they seem. Chi soon discovers he is merely a pawn in Bai’s corporate maneuvering, as the selection process is rigged to include the sponsor’s son and the company’s in-house driver.

Feeling betrayed, Chi teams up with his loyal companions—Yuqiang, mechanic Ji Xing (Zhang Benyu), rival-turned-manager Ye (Wei Xiang), and young racer Lin Zhendong (Huang Jingyu) to form an independent team and take on the Muchen 100 Rally.

Over the years, Han Han has clearly matured as both a writer and director, and Pegasus 3 is strong evidence of that growth. The first installment was an ambitious blend of comedy, drama, and racing, while the second leaned more into the technicalities and exhilaration of the sport. This latest entry takes it even further, confidently positioning itself alongside Hollywood racing films like F1 and Gran Turismo.

Han carefully dedicates the first hour to developing the story and its characters, ensuring that audiences have a reason to root for the perpetually unlucky Zhang Chi. As expected, the underdog faces numerous setbacks, but his resilience, combined with the support of his team, ultimately drives him forward.

The playful banter between Chi and Yuqiang remains a highlight, although Han noticeably tones down the comedic elements in favor of a deeper focus on racing mechanics and technical details. That said, Wei Xiang still delivers several genuinely amusing moments. The film also boasts a star-studded supporting cast, including Duan Yihong as SKYLAD’s technical expert and Aarif Lee as their in-house driver, with cameo appearances from Fan Chengcheng and Feng Shaofeng.

What truly sets Pegasus 3 apart from its predecessors is its breathtaking and occasionally humorous climactic race sequence. Lasting an impressive 45 minutes, the sequence features everything from a mid-race tire change to a malfunctioning hood, all set against extreme weather conditions. For fans of high-speed racing across asphalt and gravel, this is an absolute treat.

Ultimately, Pegasus 3 stands as a Chinese production that rivals some of Hollywood’s best in the racing genre. Its action sequences are top-notch, and the film is filled with positive, uplifting messages without feeling like overt propaganda. It’s easy to see why it has become the number one film at the box office and continues to perform strongly.

Movie Rating:

(Thrilling, funny, and packed with a likable cast, not a single minute feels wasted in this two-hour ride)

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: CG Animation
Director:  Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic
Cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Benny Safdie, Kevin Michael Richardson, Brie Larson
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Rating: PG (Some Violence)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 1 April 2026

Synopsis: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is an animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros., and follows The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was released in 2023 and earned more than $1.3 billion worldwide. Both the 2023 film and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie are produced by Chris Meledandri of Illumination and Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo. 

Movie Review:

With The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, one might reasonably expect another straightforward adventure led by gaming’s most recognisable plumber. Yet, somewhat surprisingly, this reviewer finds the film’s most engaging characters to be Bowser and Bowser Jr., whose dynamic brings an unexpected emotional core to an otherwise spectacle-driven ride. Voiced with gusto by Jack Black and Benny Safdie, the villainous duo are not just maniacal antagonists, but a strangely endearing father-and-son pairing. Their relationship provides moments of sincerity amid their chaotic schemes.

By comparison, beloved heroes like Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach feel somewhat underserved. While they remain central to the action, their character arcs are minimal. But perhaps that is not the point. This is not a film that demands to be dissected for narrative depth. Instead, it embraces a simpler goal: to entertain, dazzle, and keep audiences — especially younger ones — fully engaged from start to finish.

The story itself unfolds in a familiar, predictable fashion, ticking all the boxes of a family-friendly adventure. Conflicts arise, obstacles are overcome, and problems are solved right on cue. Yet the predictability will not detract from the experience for the masses. The film is designed as a visual playground, where one vibrant set piece leads seamlessly into another, ensuring there is never a dull moment.

Visually, the film is a feast. The animation is nothing short of gorgeous, with each frame packed with detail. Thanks to animation studio Illumination, colours burst off the screen in dazzling hues, creating a consistently high-energy atmosphere that rarely lets up. It’s the kind of film where your eyes are constantly darting across the screen, trying to take in every moving part. This is also a testament to the creativity that has long defined Nintendo’s universe.

Then there are the characters who exist purely to delight. Yoshi is as adorable as ever, practically engineered to inspire merchandise. The Lumas, with their glowing forms and childlike speech, are equally irresistible. It is easy to imagine them lighting up your bedroom with their gentle glow.

For longtime fans, the film is also packed with nods and references. Familiar elements from across the Mario universe are sprinkled throughout, rewarding those who have grown up with the games. Meanwhile, the appearance of Fox McCloud (from Nintendo’s Star Fox series) — voiced with smooth confidence by Glen Powell — adds an extra layer of appeal, especially with a swagger that feels reminiscent of his more charismatic screen roles.

Ultimately, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is less about storytelling and more about experience. It delivers a colourful, high-energy ride that prioritises fun over depth. For fans of the franchise, it’s a joyous celebration filled with recognisable faces and playful surprises. For everyone else, it’s an energetic, visually rich escape — the kind of film that overwhelms the senses in the most entertaining way, even if it doesn’t linger long after the adventure ends.

Movie Rating:

(A dazzling, high-energy adventure where spectacle shines brighter than story — and for this franchise, that may be more than enough)

Review by John Li 

Genre: Sci-fi/Adventure
Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, James Ortiz, Priya Kansara, Mia Soteriou
Runtime: 2 hr 37 mins
Rating: PG (Some Intense Sequences)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 19 March 2026

Synopsis: 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.

Movie Review:

A decade ago, Ridley Scott’s ‘The Martian’ saw screenwriter Drew Goddard deftly adapt Andy Weir’s book of the same name for the big screen. It was – we dare say – one of Scott’s finest movies in recent years, buoyed by a droll performance from Matt Damon that brought warmth and wit to an otherwise stark tale of isolation and survival. Given its resounding success, it is not surprising that Weir and Goddard would attempt to once again catch lightning in a bottle.

‘Project Hail Mary’, adapted from Weir’s third book, is the result of that endeavour. Like ‘The Martian’, it is a story of a scientist alone in space who uses ingenuity, humour, and relentless problem-solving to accomplish a near-impossible mission – this time, instead of simply staying alive while NASA races to bring him home, our protagonist Ryland Grace has to race to save our Earth’s sun from being snuffed out by tiny extraterrestrial bacteria known as astrophage.

But first, Grace must re-establish just how he ended up on a vast spaceship streaking towards a distant star, with two other dead crew members on board. Several years in an induced coma have fogged his memory, and in a series of elliptical flashbacks, Grace will not only come to recall his mission to the distant star Tau Ceti to find out why the same astrophage invasion has not dimmed its glow, but also the unlikely process of how a once-prominent molecular biologist turned middle-school teacher came to be the principal scientist on an intergovernmental last hurrah to save the Earth from a potential mass extinction event.

At close to two-and-a-half hours, despite the valiant efforts of directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Smith, ‘Project Hail Mary’ does feel like a voyage in and of itself. Much of the movie rests on the indomitable charm of Ryan Gosling, who as Grace carries the film with a mix of wry humour, vulnerability and quiet resolve, turning dense scientific problem-solving into something unexpectedly human and deeply engaging. Indeed, there are long stretches of the movie where Grace is the only living creature onscreen, and it is to Gosling’s credit that the film doesn’t lose its pulse as a result.

Even more outstanding is how Gosling navigates his character’s deepening friendship with an alien astronaut that comes in the form of a three-foot-high pile of sentient rocks, a stony, spider-like creature whom Grace nicknames Rocky (voiced and puppeted by James Ortiz). The latter’s homeworld is under similar threat, and both Grace and Rocky end up banding together in the name of interstellar solidarity – not only do they teach each other their respective languages, Grace and Rocky become scientific buddies to study the nature of the astrophage, and eventually mount a daring joint expedition to harvest samples from the perilous atmosphere of Tau Ceti’s world.

As unlikely as it is to imagine Grace and Rocky’s dynamic as a buddy movie, that is exactly what they pull off so magnificently here. Perfectly complementing Lord and Miller’s lightly comic tone, Gosling turns on his charismatically goofy charms to enliven the unlikely pairing. “They toot to scoot,” Grace explains to Rocky how the astrophage use light to increase their velocity, while shaking his head when Rocky turns a fist bump into a “fist the bump”. It is no small feat being able to project character and empathy from within an alien rock, and the fact that Lord and Miller manage to do so and with such poignancy is impressive, transforming what could have been a purely cerebral sci-fi into a genuinely moving story about friendship, trust, and shared survival across the vast emptiness of space.

On the other hand, those expecting spectacle should be warned that while there are a couple of edge-of-your-seat sequences, especially in the last third of the movie, this is not a film that thrives on ‘big bangs’ (pardon the pun); instead, it is plenty happy to revel in both the science and humanity of the mission at hand, while trusting its three-time Oscar nominated star to sell us on an everyman thrust into extraordinary circumstances. And that is also another way for saying that fans of Weir’s book can rest easy – this adaptation is as faithful as it gets, and most importantly, confidently avoids action-driven blockbuster tendencies in favour of a thoughtful, empathetic old-school Spielbergian romp.

Grounding Grace’s solitary odyssey are supporting turns that give the film both texture and moral weight. Eva Stratt (‘Anatomy of a Fall’s Sandra Hüller) emerges as a bracing counterpoint to Gosling’s everyman – steely, unsentimental, and wholly committed to the mission, embodying the hard choices that underpin humanity’s survival; while Lionel Bryce injects a welcome looseness and humanity into the Earth-bound sequences as a G-man assigned to watch over Grace, a reminder of the lives and relationships at stake. Together, they widen the film’s emotional aperture beyond Grace’s one-man mission, reminding us that this is not just a story of survival, but of collective sacrifice.

If ‘The Martian’ was about ingenuity against the odds, ‘Project Hail Mary’ ultimately lands not as a spectacle-driven blockbuster, but as a quietly affecting story about cooperation, sacrifice, and the fragile threads that bind us – across planets, species, and the vast distances in between. 

Movie Rating:

(A faithful and quietly affecting follow-up to The Martian, Project Hail Mary blends science, humour, and an unlikely interstellar friendship into a character-driven story about ingenuity, sacrifice, and cooperation against existential odds)

Review by Gabriel Chong