After all the hype surrounding humanity’s return to the stars, Project Hail Mary is a film I had to examine after following the Artemis mission’s orbit around the moon. It may not sound exciting, but ensuring systems work before landing is critical. As for the starship Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) is piloting to Tau Ceti, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I already knew this story. It’s not simply because the film adapts a novel of the same name, but because any geek knows it’s never wise to visit the Ceti system at all.
For any Trekkie, the “Ceti” designation is the ultimate red flag. It’s the neighbourhood of Ceti Alpha V, the wasteland where Captain Kirk exiled Khan Noonien Singh. Sending humanity’s last hope toward a star tied to pop culture infamy feels like the sci-fi equivalent of a slasher movie line, “I’ll be right back.” The real-world science of Tau Ceti is fascinating, but the meta joke is hard to ignore. We picked the one corner of the galaxy known for ear-slugs and vengeance. Thankfully, this film exists outside that shared universe.
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By Ed Sum