Mar 28, 2026 4:48pm IST
‘Project Hail Mary’ Soundtrack Guide: Every Song in Ryan Gosling’s Sci-Fi Epic and Where It Plays
Ryan Gosling’s “Project Hail Mary” has become one of the most talked about films across the world, and in India, it has steadily built momentum with growing screen counts and more shows being added by the day. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the film has already earned praise for its scale, emotional storytelling and inventive adaptation of Project Hail Mary. But one aspect that deserves more conversation is its soundtrack.
Lord and Miller have long had a knack for using music not just as accompaniment, but as a storytelling device in itself. In “Project Hail Mary,” that instinct is fully intact. The soundtrack moves between melancholy, humour, heartbreak and wonder, often giving emotional shape to moments that might otherwise play very differently. From classic rock to folk and Latin music, here is a look at every major song in the film and where it lands.
Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down – Kris Kristofferson
This plays not long after Grace wakes up from his medically induced coma aboard the Hail Mary and realises he has no idea why he is there or why he is completely alone. What follows is one of the film’s stranger but oddly affecting moments, as he drinks, spirals and slow dances with a mop. The track mirrors the breakdown perfectly, balancing melancholy with absurd humour.
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Pata Pata – Miriam Makeba
This playful, upbeat track kicks in during a flashback where Grace is shopping for materials for an experiment back on Earth. Arriving before the mission fully spirals into crisis, the lighter tone fits perfectly. With Lionel Boyce’s Carl in the mix, the whole sequence leans into improvisation, physical comedy and the breezy energy Lord and Miller do so well.
El Amanecer – Carlos Di Sarli y su Orquesta Típica
This track plays as the Hail Mary drifts through space while an alien ship, later revealed to be Rocky’s, carefully builds a tunnel connecting the two vessels. It is a gorgeous first contact moment, and the music helps elevate the precision and visual elegance of the sequence.
Rainbows – Dennis Wilson
This warm, almost childlike track plays during one of the film’s softer stretches, as Grace introduces Rocky to Earth, its culture and everything beautiful about it. Surrounded by giant screens showing the planet, the moment feels tender and quietly heartbreaking because while Grace is sharing what makes Earth worth saving, he still has not told Rocky that he is never meant to return.
Wind of Change – Scorpions
One of the Earth flashbacks takes us to a small gathering aboard the aircraft carrier where the team is running its experiments. Amid all the looming chaos, Grace gets a rare moment to breathe as a karaoke performance quietly sets up one of the film’s more memorable musical callbacks.
Sign of the Times – Harry Styles
For most of “Project Hail Mary,” Grace is alone in space, but the Earth flashbacks are largely anchored by Sandra Hüller as Eva Stratt, the woman leading humanity’s last shot at survival. In one of the film’s more unexpectedly vulnerable moments, Stratt takes over a karaoke machine and sings Sign of the Times, a darkly funny choice that underlines just how dire the mission really is.
Po Atarau – Turakina Maori Girls Choir
This hauntingly beautiful piece arrives right after Grace and Rocky say goodbye. After saving both their stars, the two part ways, and the track swells as Grace slowly cuts the dock connecting their ships. It is one of the film’s most emotional stretches, carrying the full weight of everything they have survived and built together.
Gracias a la Vida – Mercedes Sosa
This plays during the film’s final flashback to Earth and accompanies one of its most devastating reveals. Grace learns he was never meant to go willingly. After refusing the mission out of fear, he was drugged and placed aboard the Hail Mary anyway. The irony of a song rooted in gratitude for life playing over that revelation makes the moment sting even more.
Two of Us – The Beatles
As Grace sends the planet saving data back to Earth through the probe ships nicknamed the “Beetles,” the film slips in one of its smartest musical choices. In Andy Weir’s novel, the probes are named after members of The Beatles, so the use of this track feels perfectly earned. The “we’re on our way home” refrain makes the beat land even harder.
Stargazer – Neil Diamond
After Grace realises the organism they discovered could also destroy Rocky’s ship, the film pushes him into one of its most important emotional crossroads. He can either continue his journey home or turn back and risk everything to save Rocky and, by extension, Erid. Grace chooses the latter, and the song lands over a moment that fully cements his transformation from reluctant participant to someone willing to sacrifice everything for another world.
Glory, Glory – Ike & Tina Turner
The final needle drop arrives over the end credits, which feature real images of nebulae captured through astrophotography. After everything the story builds toward, ending on the actual beauty and scale of space feels earned, humbling and quietly emotional in the best possible way.
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