Impressive success for Amazon MGM Studios. The new film starring Ryan Gosling, “Last Chance Project”, recorded globally the best start of 2026, with $80 million for its first weekend of release. The revenues are said to have already exceeded the $150 million mark worldwide. This undeniable commercial success owes much to the expertise of directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (“21 Jump Street”, “The Lego Movie”), as well as to the comedic potential of Ryan Gosling (“Barbie”, “The Fall Guy”) who carries the entire film on his shoulders. For this adaptation of Andy Weir’s eponymous novel, the Canadian actor not only puts on the hat of a producer but also dons the astronaut suit. A role reminiscent of that of Neil Armstrong he played in 2018 in “First Man”, by director Damien Chazelle.
Mission suicide in space Awakening from a coma aboard a spaceship, Ryland Grace suffers from amnesia. Quickly, he realizes that the other two passengers are dead, and he is now the sole survivor, eleven light-years from Earth. As he regains consciousness, his memories come back to him in fragments: a doctor in molecular biology and a science teacher in middle school, Grace was approached by Eva Stratt, a government agent whose mission is to study the “astrophage”, a microorganism weakening the Sun and causing global cooling on Earth within thirty years. To save humanity, Ryland Grace was then sent on a suicide mission – with no chance of return – into space to study the phenomenon. Emerging from his coma and approaching the Tau Ceti star, the scientist spots another spacecraft. On board, a small rocky-looking alien, whom he names “Rocky”, becomes his friend and actively helps him in his research.
Friendship between peoples? Lighter than the usual science fiction cinema (“2001: A Space Odyssey”, “Gravity” or other “Interstellar”), “Last Chance Project” follows in the footsteps of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” by betting on successful cooperation between humans and extraterrestrials. A gentler prism that differs from catastrophic films like “Independence Day”, “Alien” or “Predator”, yet still smells pleasantly of the perpetual discourse on friendship between peoples, transcending borders and races. A utopian, naive vision that is more indulgently received in 2026 in a science fiction narrative than in a “social” or “political” film. Rather touching, ultimately, this tale of flashy-colored friendship fortunately compensates for its inevitable mediocrity with humor and irony. While the scenario may confuse us a bit with its scientific explanations, completely devoid of interest, “Last Chance Project” at least gives Ryan Gosling the opportunity to have fun in front of the camera and share his good mood.
2.5 stars out of 5
