Project Hi Mary (PHM) will be the latest addition to the ever-expanding sci-fi movie library when it flies into theaters later this month.
Despite its book namesake, the number of movies that the Ryan Gosling starrer could have been inspired by is – for lack of a better word – astronomical.
The article continues below
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Look at
Where to stream: HBO Max (US), ITVX (UK) and HBO Max and Binge (Australia)
Running time: 139 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% (critics); 88% (audience)
“You have to lay 2001: A Space Odyssey in there,” Miller said after dwelling on it for a few seconds.
He’s not wrong either. Stanley Kubrick’s seminal sci-fi epic has influenced countless other works, be it movies, TV shows, books or video games. It has also been parodied to the core, too The Simpsons, Futurama, South Park, WALL-Eand even Warner Bros. in the first trailer for the studio’s megahit from 2024 Barbie, takes a satirical stab at the genre-defining film.
It polarized critics upon initial release, but 2001 has not only left a lasting legacy in science fiction as a whole, but also influenced our entire culture, especially from a technological point of view. At a time when artificial intelligence is affecting all industries and causing concern, 2001‘s examination of the dangers of AI through its primary antagonist HAL-9000 has never felt more prescient than it does today.
Dark Star (1974)
Look at
Where to stream: Prime Video and The Criterion Channel (US), Prime Video (UK) and Binge (Australia)
Running time: 83 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 74% (critics); 64% (audience)
And now for something completely different. A sci-fi comedy from 1974, Dark Star was the directorial debut of none other than legendary auteur John Carpenter. In it, the crew of the eponymous – and deteriorated – spacecraft seek out and destroy unstable planets that could threaten the future colonization of other worlds. Yes, it is as surreal as it sounds.
Given the seemingly endless amount of sci-fi movies out there, some would argue that while Dark Star now considered a cult classic, it holds no place above other critically acclaimed and award-winning films. However, the Lord is adamant that it must.
“It’s a keystone film that you can track Alien back to,” Lord said of Dark Star‘s influence on the 1979 sci-fi horror film (NB: both films were written by Dan O’Bannon). “Dark Star was a great source of inspiration for Alien and for us [on Project Hail Mary] because of how messy our ship is depicted and the way people talk to each other feels natural in both that and our film.”
Aliens (1979)
Look at
Where to stream: Hulu (US), Disney+ (UK) and Disney+ (Australia)
Running time: 116 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93% (critics); 94% (audience)
Given how much influence Dark Star was on PHM and Alienit won’t shock anyone to see that the latter is also among Lord and Miller’s top picks.
“Although this is not a horror film, we tried to capture the essence of it Alien,” Lord explained. “Our cinematographer, Greig Fraser, was really inspired by Alien and the way it was photographed. At first it feels a little warmer than your typical sci-fi movie. We just love the way the movie feels too, with its quilted walls and the camaraderie of the Nostromo crew.”
Look at
Where to stream: rent or buy in the Apple, Amazon, Google and YouTube stores (US), Disney+ (UK) and Disney+, Paramount+, Binge and Foxtel (Australia)
Running time: 114 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99% (critics); 72% (audience)
Widely considered to be among iconic filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s best works, ET: The Extra Terrestrial is another of Lord and Miller’s favorite films — and, as Miller said, not just “because it’s an obvious choice to include.”
Indeed, parallels can be drawn between ET and Elliot, the boy who befriends ET, and that of Gosling’s Ryland Grace and the arachnid-like Eridian he calls Rocky. Both films contain unlikely human-alien friendships that become central components of their respective narratives and, among other things, thematically emphasize tolerance towards beings from other walks of life.
From Amazon and Sony, Project Hi Mary will achieve blast-off on March 19 (UK and Australia) and March 20 (US and everywhere else). Before it does, read my Project Hi Mary review to see if it’s worth watching.
