arloGet the appMovies like Project Hail Mary
2026 · Movie · PG-13 · your starting pointIf Project Hail Mary is the itch, these scratch it — some louder, some quieter. Free ones first.
Movies like Project Hail Mary, ranked
1. First Spaceship On Venus (1960)
The methodical problem-solving and sense of discovery mirror each other as protagonists use scientific reasoning to unravel cosmic mysteries that threaten humanity's survival.
3. Passengers (2016)
Chris Pratt's resourceful problem-solving against an indifferent cosmos mirrors Andy Weir's stripped-down survival logic, where isolation forces ordinary people to MacGyver their way through catastrophic technical failures.
4. Sphere (1998)
A lone scientist must decipher an alien mystery while isolated from Earth, relying on problem-solving and unconventional thinking to survive encounters with phenomena that challenge everything they thought they knew.
5. The 27th Day (1957)
A lone protagonist must grasp an alien technology's mechanics under existential pressure, relying on problem-solving and moral clarity to prevent planetary annihilation.
6. Contact (1997)
A lone scientist must decode an incomprehensible cosmic phenomenon while navigating institutional skepticism and humanity's existential questions about our place in the universe.
7. Moonraker (1979)
A resourceful protagonist must leverage scientific expertise and improvisation to stop a threat with catastrophic global consequences, navigating elaborate obstacles and forming an unlikely partnership along the way.
8. Event Horizon (1997)
The claustrophobic isolation of a malfunctioning spacecraft forces the protagonist to rely on scientific problem-solving and sheer resourcefulness to survive an escalating crisis in hostile space.
Tell me what kind of night it is — I'll pick the one for you.