Three Recent Movies: Reviews of The Moment, No Other Choice, and Project Hail Mary
Three movies about fame, survival, and connection.
Cover photo: Film poster for Project Hail Mary, on EVA Air Inflight Entertainment Service (2026). Photo by Danny With Love.
Movie Intro
International flights are always a great opportunity to catch up on movies I missed in theaters. During my 13-hour flight back home to Texas after nearly 5 years in Japan, I watched three very different films exploring fame, capitalism, and friendship. Here are my quick thoughts on The Moment, No Other Choice, and Project Hail Mary.
The Moment (2026)
Directed by Aidan Zamiri, The Moment is a surreal meta-parody of Charli XCX’s meteoric rise following her hit album Brat. In the film, Charli attempts to capitalize on her newfound mainstream success by selling credit cards and starring in a documentary about herself, all while slowly compromising the artistic values that made her famous.
In one memorable scene, she hides inside a giant stage lighter prop complete with real pyrotechnics. Awash in a green glow, The Moment is a dizzying meditation on fame, artistic freedom, and the personal cost of commercial success.
Kylie Jenner delivers one of the film’s most memorable lines: “The second you think people are getting sick of you, that’s when you have to go even harder.” Equally absurd and vulnerable, The Moment asks whether artists can maintain their identity once the world demands more from them.
No Other Choice (2025)
Directed by award-winning Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, No Other Choice is a dark comedy about desperation in a ruthless corporate world.
The film follows Yoo Man-su (played by Lee Byung-hun), a paper mill manager who suddenly loses his job. As his search for employment grows increasingly hopeless, Man-su slowly transforms from committed union man into a killer willing to literally eliminate his competition.
After embracing inhumanity, he is rewarded with a new position monitoring an empty, automated factory. Is it a victory, or proof the system itself is broken?
Project Hail Mary (2026)
Ryan Gosling stars as science teacher Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Set against the backdrop of a space mission to save Earth, the sci-fi film is a stunning visual spectacle and Gosling is, as always, incredibly charming.
The emotional heart of the story is the blossoming friendship between Grace and Rocky, a spiderlike alien. Through curiosity and trust, the unlikely pair save the universe from a mysterious threat.
Project Hail Mary is deeply strange, surprisingly sincere, and beautiful. It’s a reminder that our greatest achievements may not come from competition, but collaboration.
Final Thoughts
These three films could not be more different, but each explores what happens when people face impossible circumstances: the pressure of fame, the cruelty of capitalism, and the challenge of connecting with someone completely different from ourselves.
