Beam me up?Rocky!? Critical Darlings is back, from outer space, in our new feed, talking about the first blockbuster of the year. Project Hail Mary, directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller for Amazon, is a family-friendly science fiction film about Ryan Gosling on a risky space mission with a cute alien pal. The movie is a critical and commercial success and feels livelier than so many would-be blockbusters. But what is it about Hail Mary that works where last year?s Gosling-led The Fall Guy failed? Is this the return of the ?80s-era cute puppet friend movie? Is Gosling the hottest middle school teacher ever? Alison and Richard also get into the film itself, with sidebars on Gosling and Lord and Miller?s filmographies, and dig into Amazon?s upcoming film slate, James Bond, and whether the studio could become a significant player in a post-Paramount-merger landscape. Finally, we check in on the vibes around The Mandalorian and Grogu and Alison?s newest crush, Rotta the Hutt. Read and subscribe to Richard's newsletter at Premiere Party, and read Alison at Vulture.

Welcome to Critical Darlings, where critics Richard Lawson and Alison Willmore cover the latest film driving the conversation?from big summer blockbusters to festival favorites, buzzy streamers, and major awards contenders. New episodes every Thursday. Produced by Benjamin Frisch Subscribe to Richard's newsletter, ??Premiere Party,?? and read Alison's work ??at Vulture.?? Follow @blankcheckpod on ??Twitter??, ??Instagram??, ??Threads?? and ??Facebook??!