The film adaptation of “Project Hail Mary,” the story of a relationship between a delightful alien, Rocky (James Ortiz), and the bemused science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), masterfully avoids one significant pitfall of modern adult media: a lack of hope. In an era of declining mental health, it shows how joyful storylines could help revive empathy and kindness in adults.
Despite centering an unwilling astronaut stuck in space, “Project Hail Mary” manages to focus on themes of friendship, loyalty and hopefulness to create a truly uplifting movie. The current box office success of the film shows that the public is willing to embrace media that isn’t dominated by dark themes.
Another example of successful joyful media is last summer’s “Superman” film, directed by James Gunn. The movie diverts from a serious Superman figure, seen in interpretations like “Man of Steel,” and instead focuses on Clark Kent’s love for his dog and punk rock. One of the standout messages of the film was that kindness is cool again.
Films like “Superman” and “Project Hail Mary” stand apart in a media landscape bogged down by despair. Dark movies are often critically acclaimed due to an assumption that pain is a prerequisite for making serious art; IMDb’s top movies list is dominated by grim films like “The Dark Knight,” “The Godfather” and “Schindler’s List.” The fatalistic mindset present in these films becomes extremely harmful when adopted in real life. Adults are currently trying to manage overwhelming crises like climate change and heightened global conflict. While experts emphasize that these challenges can be overcome, hopeless art may be teaching people to resort to despondency instead of activism.
Many of these pieces of media are genuinely intended to be provocative, artistic representations of the biggest challenges humanity faces. But as art critics disappear and social media drives movie sales, artists should consider whether their messages are truly landing for the general public. Half of American adults read below a sixth-grade level, meaning they lack a significant portion of the critical interpretive skills taught beyond middle school. In a culture that still neglects the satire of “Fight Club,” darker movies like Kristoffer Borgli’s “The Drama” might not become the thoughtful provocations they were conceptualized as. Instead, they may accidentally trivialize real-life tragedies or simply encourage people to anxiously mistrust their community.
The trend towards hopelessness isn’t exclusive to film. In online book communities, bleak themes abound in genres like dark romance and viral novels such as Hanya Yanagihara’s contentious “A Little Life.” Ethical debates about popular true crime media further demonstrate how controversial and negative the modern media landscape truly is. With such a media landscape, it’s little wonder that anxiety is continually increasing in the United States; people are being taught that the world is irrevocably hopeless.
When looking for a more effective storytelling method, perhaps Hollywood should take notes from the hopefulness of children’s media. The animated film “The Wild Robot” addresses climate change by avoiding fatalism and giving young viewers a positive view of their role in ecological interconnectivity. “Bluey,” an Australian children’s TV show, is beloved among adults for its joyful storylines and empathetic presentations of human imperfections. We know that kids need the hopefulness present in these happy endings — it’s not a stretch to believe adults need the same reminders.
“Project Hail Mary” provides such a reminder in one of its simplest, most emotionally impactful speeches. When the alien Rocky realizes that the astronaut Ryland Grace is stuck in space, he recalls the deaths of his own crewmates and begins to panic. But as quickly as Rocky becomes afraid, he also promises to find a solution.
Rocky doesn’t know enough English to write artistic, grim sonnets about his grief or self-sacrifice. The way he shares his feelings is simple and grammatically incorrect — but his hopeful determination still brings audiences to tears. Through just a few sentence fragments focused on joy and friendship, the viewer learns how to turn darkness into light.
The media teaches people what the world can be. Superman can overcome discrimination and save his dog. Rocky and Ryland can save the stars. And maybe — with enough hopeful examples to follow — everyone can find a way to leave the world a little better than they found it.
Ruby Goodwin is an Opinion Staff Writer. She can be reached at regoodwi@uci.edu.
Edited by Annabelle Aguirre.
