Show notes
Spoiler wall's up — you've been warned.Hot Take Movies is officially a thing, and the boys are kicking it off with their Book of 2025 now on the big screen. Rich gives Ryan Gosling high marks for the Stratt scene but draws a line between playing Rylan Grace and playing Ryan Gosling-as-Rylan-Grace. Ryan counters by handing out a 10 for cinematography and refusing to apologize for it. They get into what the movie nailed — Rocky's ship, Carl (not in the book, very much a win), the Grace-Rocky dynamic — and what got shortchanged: the slow-burn amnesia opening that makes the book impossible to put down, reduced to the first 60 seconds. Two one-star reviewers also make an appearance and suggest that science fiction should obey the actual laws of science.Rich 8.6 / Ryan 9.0 / Overall 8.8 out of 10. The verdict: go see the movie. Go read the book. Both. This weekend.Episode Type: Hot Take Movies (Riff Series — bonus episode)Movie: Project Hail Mary (2026)Based on: Project Hail Mary by Andy WeirDirected by: Phil Lord and Christopher MillerWritten by: Drew Goddard and Andy WeirStarring: Ryan Gosling, James Ortiz (Rocky)IMDb: 8.4 / Rotten Tomatoes: 94%Score: Rich 8.6 / Ryan 9.0 / Overall 8.8 out of 10[00:24] — Intro: Hot Take Movies debut, Riff Series launch[00:53] — Why this episode is free (hint: they're all free)[01:38] — Project Hail Mary as Book of 2025, Hotties ceremony recap[02:10] — Rich's case for teaching PHM in schools[04:05] — Spoiler warning + movie meta stats[06:40] — Book vs. movie: what each format does better[07:18] — Rocky/Grace relationship on screen[08:01] — Visualizing Rocky's ship: where the movie wins[10:49] — What the book does better: Rylan Grace's internal monologue[11:31] — Carl: the character invented for the movie (and why it works)[12:41] — The amnesia opening: book vs. movie[15:51] — Ryan Gosling vs. Rylan Grace: too pretty for the role?[16:51] — The Stratt scene: Gosling nails it[19:35] — Ratings: Cinematography, Acting, Writing[24:27] — Final scores: Rich 8.6 / Ryan 9.0 / Overall 8.8[24:49] — One-star reviews[28:24] — Closing: read the book, see the movie, Ray Porter cameo wishTikTok: @hottakebksInstagram: @hottakebooks