There is a central tension that keeps us constantly engaged in the grandly entertaining sci-fi epic Project Hail Mary. But it has nothing to do with whether astronaut Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) can use his scientific knowledge and recently discovered sense of bravery to fly many light-years from Earth on a desperate mission to save humanity; the tension is actually between Andy Weir, author of the novel upon which the film is based, and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller.