Project Hail Mary: Best Bromance Movie? 

I went with my best friend to watch Project Hail Mary in theatres. Before going in, she and I predicted what would happen in the movie, and let me tell you, I nearly got all of them right.

Why am I sharing this piece of information? Well, for starters, to brag about how good I am at guessing movie plot points. Also, to highlight exactly how easy it was to predict where this movie was going. I think Lucas. says it best in the title of his article "Project Hail Mary Is Great, But I Don't Wanna Talk About It." Which begs the greater question: why did I find the movie great? And why the hell am I still talking about it?

When recommending it to another friend of mine, my initial thoughts were that the movie was hopeful, despite being about the end of the world. But then, my bestie brought up the very good point that the movie was not, in fact, all that hopeful (don't worry, I won't spoil the movie), and that it was more sad than anything else. Her words stopped me in my tracks; it was true, the movie was clearly harrowing and tragic. So why did it not feel that way?

The main essence, if I were to describe Project Hail Mary solely by feelings, was that it is wholesome and safe, which is so different from other space odysseys I've seen.

Even when Grace was completely alone and indulging in his existentialism, the movie never veered away from its lighthearted tone. I think, in part, that had to do with the way Gosling carried his character. He leaned hard into humour and goofiness to dispel the heaviness of his situation. Posed against sombering flashbacks that explicitly spelled out the future of humankind, Grace's present-day attitude kept the narrative from falling into despair.

It also had to do with his friendship with Rocky.

There are a lot of buddy, feel-good movies out there in the world. For instance, my immediate thought goes to 21 Jump Street, or Pineapple Express, or Sholay, or Sherlock, or 3 Idiots... Shrek.

Grace's friendship with Rocky was one of the few healthiest depictions of bro-madery that I've seen in a while. And, okay, yes, I know that Rocky's gender is ambiguous, but I am taking the stance that Grace saw him as a "bro" which is why I started thinking about the best bro-mances that I'd seen in movies or TV. Of course, thinking about bromances led me to pursuing a whole thread about whether I'd ever seen a healthy male friendship on screen, and if so, which ones.

So, for your entertainment and out of my curiosity, I've created a random list of four bromances to highlight exactly what makes up a healthy relationship. Each duo is measured based on three scales: emotional openness, respect, and banter.

Best: Jake and Boyle - Brooklyn 99

Emotional openness: 9/10

Both men are communicative and open with one another. They share their thoughts and feelings and genuinely enjoy each other's company. It's also very evident that despite being so different from one another, they are willing and open to indulge in each other's interests and support one another.

Banter: 4/10

Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it falls flat. They did the best that they could.

Respect: 9/10

This goes back to how different they are as people, and yet, somehow, they never shame one another for their interests. In fact, they both go out of their way to encourage one another in bettering themselves and achieving their dreams. Most importantly, they genuinely like one another to go out of their way to hang out.

Healthiness Scale: 22/30

The friendship we should strive for.

Almost But Not Quite There Yet: Shrek & Donkey - Shrek

Emotional openness: 8/10

They talk. I liked how, with some time, they were able to have more emotionally vulnerable conversations where they shared their insecurities and talked about their problems. They were supportive of each others ambitions and dreams, especially Donkey.

Banter: 8/10

They had natural flowing dialogue that really built their relationship without spelling it out for us. The rapport between them was lighthearted and really emphasized each other's quirks. Most of the dialogue was Shrek being exasperated by Donkey, but it was fun.

Respect: 2/10

Donkey has no regard for Shrek's personal space, and Shrek has no patience for him. Though in small interactions, the two have a lot of fun, and both of them are loyal to each other, anything too long results in conflict. Mostly because they both have very different communication styles and love languages. Donkey's way too clingy and has an anxious-attachment style, and Shrek is very clearly an avoidant.

Healthiness Scale: 18/30

Lowkey toxic but somehow still healthier than their romantic relationships?

Absolute Mess: Dale & Saul - Pineapple Express

Emotional openness: 3/10

I don't think either character knows the words "emotional vulnerability." I think yelling over one another and arguing equates to bonding in this movie. To be fair, everyone's a bit high in this movie, so I think that plays into why it never gets too deep or emotionally aware.

Banter: 5/10

Mostly declarations of "I love you, man." Not a lot of awareness and pure trauma bonding. Lots of exposition, but again, I think that has to do with the fact that everyone is high.

Respect: 2/10

I mean... Dale doesn't even consider Saul a friend until the very end when all of them nearly die. Neither of the guys even respect themselves.

Healthiness Scale: 10/30

Not good, guys.

Elite: Rocky & Grace - Project Hail Mary

Emotional openness: 6/10

Although the circumstances surrounding their friendship are harrowing, Rocky and Grace embody the healthiest way of coping with grief and isolation. It might seem that their mutual trauma is what binds them together, but what becomes evident is just how much mutual communication and understanding can forge a healthy and secure attachment.

Unlike all the above examples, Jake and Boyle included, what really makes Rocky and Grace's friendship stand out is the fact that they actually have to learn a language together. The movie gets really Arrival-esque for a bit when Rocky and Grace try to communicate for the first time. It's so cute watching them charades/puppeteer certain words, but what makes that whole montage sequence important is that it really anchors in the mutual trust between them. Even when there is no word that can encompass an emotion or experience, silence speaks for them, bridging the gap.

With the help of the translator device, Rocky and Grace are able to have a few heart-to-heart conversations that really allow the two to understand one another and learn to cope with their grief. There's a lot that Grace has to unpack with his situation, which he never delves into at all, but on the whole, he is always open to learning and understanding Rocky as best he can. And, the same goes for Rocky who is attuned to Grace's feelings and emotions.

Both understand one another and adapt so that both feel equally seen and understood. That's seen in the way that Rocky provides Grace with a spacesuit that will allow him to explore Rocky's ship. That's seen in the way that Grace adapts his living space to fit Rocky in it. As the two grow closer, they shape their lives, and in effect, even their futures, so that both will thrive.

Banter: 9/10

The banter between them was really cute and wholesome. As Rocky and him learned to communicate and explore each others' homes, their conversations showcased just how personable and curious both were. I think the fact that they were continuously learning how to navigate each other's language and lifestyle gave a lot of room to create an equal dynamic between the two. It wasn't just one language or culture over another; instead, they both shared tidbits of their worlds and slowly merged them together.

Like with Jake and Boyle and the other duos, there is always some kind of conflict that stems from different personalities or just blatant disrespect (*I'm pointing fingers at Dale and Saul with that last point); with Rocky and Grace the only point of contention between them was learning to adapt to the lack of personal space on the ship. That mini-conflict, though, really gave room for a fun sibling dynamic. It just made their friendship feel more natural, like they knew each other enough to be able to make light of the fact that they're both stuck in space.

Respect: 10/10

It was clear that both considered each other's feelings, likes and dislikes, and opinions. Grace and Rocky didn't agree on every decision or method for the tasks at hand, but they never let it get in the way of either the task or the friendship. Instead, they took the opportunity to learn from one another, or, trusting that whatever decision the other was making would work because they had faith in each other.

Healthiness Scale: 27/30

The relationship is not perfect, perfect (that would be a 30/30), but it's as close as it can get in terms of the healthiest bromances I can think of. In my opinion, the only reason that Project Hail Mary resonated so much despite how it followed the cookie-cutter sci-fi, apocalyptic, odyssey movie, was because of how much hope Rocky and Grace presented for humanity. If a human and alien can forge a friendship so real and sincere, then there has to be hope for a better future, even in the face of imminent death.

The world might end, but friendship lasts forever.

At least, that's what I think.

Let me know what you think! And, if you can think of better bromance contenders, write them down in the comments!