Project Hail Mary parents guide: what parents of kids 4–7 should know

• ✓Official rating above age 7
  MPA: PG-13; BBFC: 12A; FSK: 12
• –Violence in rating descriptors
  No violence descriptor in MPA or BBFC advice
• ✓Scary content in rating descriptors
  BBFC: moderate threat
• ✓Bad language in rating descriptors
  BBFC: implied strong language
• ✓Sexual content, drugs, or alcohol in rating descriptors
  MPA: suggestive references; BBFC: drug references
• ✓Rated 12 or higher in the UK or Germany
  BBFC: 12A; FSK: 12

Each flag is a yes-or-no fact from the sources on this page. The number is a count of flags, not a safety score. How we count. Rating reasons marked mild, very mild, or brief don't count.

Checked October 2026. Ratings and settings change; check the official source before you decide. What do these ratings mean?

Facts for parents, not medical or legal advice. If you're worried about your child, talk to your pediatrician.

What Project Hail Mary is about

A science teacher wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory and has to recall his mission to save Earth from a catastrophic threat, per the BBFC. Ryan Gosling plays Ryland Grace; Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directed. It's based on the novel by Andy Weir, who also wrote The Martian, Common Sense Media notes. Grace meets an alien he calls Rocky.

Project Hail Mary parents guide: what's in it

Short answer: PG-13 in the US, 12A in the UK, 12 in Germany.

• US (MPA): PG-13, some thematic material and suggestive references.
• UK (BBFC): 12A, moderate threat, rude humor, drug references, implied strong language.
• Germany (FSK): 12, threat and distressing themes.

The BBFC describes a sustained sequence in which a spaceship goes out of control and an astronaut is knocked unconscious, brief sight of blood and dead bodies after an accident, and upsetting scenes about death and bereavement. Common Sense Media notes that Grace finds his crewmates' bodies and that he gets drunk on vodka he finds on the ship.

What age is Project Hail Mary for?

Short answer: The MPA rates it PG-13, and Common Sense Media lists it for 12+.

PG-13 has no age limit at US theaters, but it tells parents some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. In the UK, under-12s can see a 12A film only with an adult.

The habit kids may copy: going it alone

Grace starts out sure he has to solve everything by himself. Things change when he starts working with Rocky.

Try tonight: two heads are better

Pick a small puzzle, like a tower of blocks that keeps falling. Let your child try alone first, then say: "Want to try it together? I'll hold, you build." Talk about which way worked better. In our program, this is the lesson "Stepping In": we're here to help each other.

What is Project Hail Mary rated?

PG-13 in the US for some thematic material and suggestive references. It's 12A in the UK and 12 in Germany.

Is Project Hail Mary appropriate for kids?

The MPA rates it PG-13, meaning some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Common Sense Media lists it for 12+.

Is there bad language in Project Hail Mary?

The BBFC lists implied strong language through wordplay on "fudge," plus milder words such as "piss" and "damn."

Is Project Hail Mary scary?

The BBFC lists moderate threat, including a sustained sequence in which a spaceship goes out of control.

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