Science fiction is on a real tear at the moment. Previously a niche subject that would give us thought-provoking, yet critically unsuccessful films (unless you’re George Lucas or Christopher Nolan), it has truly exploded in the last few years following the work of filmmakers like Denis Villeneuve, whose work on Dune proved that sci-fi could be both critical catnip and commercially prosperous. His work has certainly inspired plenty of filmmakers, and 2026 gave us one of the best and most seen movies in recent times.
While it didn’t reach the heights of some films this year, one of the most successful sci-fi movies of the year is undoubtedly Project Hail Mary. Starring Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hüller, Amazon poured $200 million into the production of Project Hail Mary, but the film soared in theaters, and it went on to earn over $680 million during its global box office run. Project Hail Mary has now officially spent more than six months inside JustWatch’s streaming Top 10, reaching 188 days on the chart. The movie has also reached No. 1 during its run and currently carries an impressive 95% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, the movie follows Ryland Grace, a science teacher who wakes aboard a spacecraft with no memory of who he is or why he’s there. As his memories slowly return, Grace discovers that he has been sent on a desperate mission to save humanity from an extinction-level threat. His chances improve considerably when he discovers he isn’t quite as alone in the universe as he thought. The film earned near-perfect responses from critics, including a 9/10 review from Collider’s Ross Bonaime, who called it “the first great film of 2026.”
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
Who Stars in ‘Project Hail Mary’?
Directed by Phil LordandChristopher Miller, Project Hail Mary is led by Ryan Gosling (Barbie) as Ryland Grace. The cast also includes Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) as Eva Stratt, James Ortiz as the voice of Rocky, Lionel Boyce (The Bear) as Carl, Milana Vayntrub (This Is Us) as Olesya Ilyukhina, Ken Leung (Industry) as Yao, Priya Kansara (Polite Society) as Mary, and Mia Soteriou (Mamma Mia!) as Dr. Browne.
Project Hail Mary is streaming on Prime Video. Stay tuned to Collider for all the latest news and updates on the year’s biggest movies.
Release Date
March 15, 2026
Runtime
157 minutes
Director
Christopher Miller, Phil Lord
Writers
Drew Goddard, Andy Weir
Producers
Aditya Sood, Amy Pascal, Andy Weir, Christopher Miller, Phil Lord, Rachel O’Connor, Ryan Gosling
