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Adapted from a Novel by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary is a science fiction film focused on survival, problem solving and human emotions. Written by the author of The Martian, the film follows his style of science and emotion driven narratives. The Martian, which was adapted into a film in 2016 starring Matt Damon, was nominated for 7 Oscars, setting a high standard for upcoming science fiction movies. Now, Project Hail Mary is on par with The Martian, if not surpassing it in certain aspects. 

It starts with the story of a man who wakes up in a space ship 11.9 light years away from earth with no memory of who he is and why he is there. The story progresses with him slowly remembering his memory over time, represented by shifting narrative between the past and present. The film is strong in its storytelling, direction, and setting, but there is one key decision in the plot that reduces its emotional impact.

The story is one of the best parts of the film. It feels fresh and interesting, even though it follows a basic idea of survival in space. The story slowly unfolds as we venture between the past and the present. Every new piece of information adds to the layer of world building. Ryan Gosling also gives a very convincing and layered performance as Ryland Grace. 

His way of delivering some of the lines is, in itself, one of the most uplifting aspects of the film. One of the mistakes actors get wrong all the time is using the same delivery of humour for all of the situations. However, Gosling avoids it. You feel the nervousness and uncertainty he carries as he jokes in space with Rocky, while you can feel the optimistic and purposeful feeling on Earth. The joke on Earth makes you laugh, whereas the joke in space makes you tear up. This was one of Ryan Gosling’s best movie performances.

The second half of the Project Hail Mary is just a cinematic highlight. The emotions and tension build over the course of 30 minutes, layering on top of each other. The intensity becomes so strong that you are completely still and can't help but be immersed in the movie. Every minute that goes by raises the stakes for the characters. But when it reaches the pinnacle, it fails to land swiftly.

This is where the film’s weakness appears. The shift back to the past, especially after major emotional buildup, reduced the overall impact. Instead of letting the audience fully feel the weight of the reveal, the film switches to the past. This broke the flow of emotion and diminished the moment. As a result, the emotional payoff does not feel as strong as expected.

In conclusion, Project Hail Mary is a great film with a strong story, great direction, and an impressive cast. The return to the past, at an important moment, reduced its full impact, but it is still an engaging, thoughtful, emotional and spectacular science fiction film that is worth watching. Dare I say: One of the best movies of 2026.

The release of Bully, alongside SoFi concerts, marks a new phase in Ye’s (formerly known as Kanye West) career. Bully is his twelfth studio album, following several delays from 2025 and early 2026, and his first after antisemitism controversy. Ye later apologized for his behavior by taking out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal. “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite, I love Jewish people,” he wrote, while attributing his poor judgment to his Bipolar Disorder. 

Bully’s release was accompanied by Ye’s first major US performance in several years at SoFi Stadium. He sold out 70,000 seats in LA for two nights, and featured many guest artists including Don Toliver, Travis Scott, and North West (his daughter). Much of the show drew directly from Bully, making the album a central part of the direction on stage.

On the first listen, the album feels like a nostalgia fest. The opening tracks like King and Father resembles the beat, sample style and production of Yeezus. Whereas, the later tracks draw from his College Dropout era as well as 808’s and Heartbreak’s autotune style. One of Ye’s defining traits in his albums is that he isn’t hesitant to explore new production styles, samples and voices, even if it meant going against his fanbase. But this album doesn’t exude any special or new style. It seems like Ye, after all the backlash regarding his controversy, chose not to take risks for this album. His creative process and his production are still there—every sample on the album feels enjoyable—but ultimately, it fails to do something interesting.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Bully is not a good album. It just feels like a nostalgia album that builds off his previous records, designed for every Ye fan to enjoy at least one of its songs. In doing so, the album seems unfinished and half baked as it lacks thematic progression. Having said that, if you look at each song individually instead of altogether as an album, you would probably enjoy it way more.

The reason that the album feels incomplete is due to his partnership with Gamma for the record production and sales. Bully was supposed to be a full AI album partnered with Gamma, but Ye later on decided against it and wanted to rerecord the entire project. So, it is speculated that, when the time came for releasing the album, even though Ye hadn’t completely finished working on the album, he had to release the album alongside the physical copies to maximize sales. So, the album is not technically the final product. Ye will revise and update it as time goes by. And this is not a new concept for Ye. This has happened frequently throughout his previous albums, such as Donda and The Life Of Pablo. So, to find out what Ye had in mind with this album concept. We will have to wait a few months.

Overall, Ye’s album Bully isn’t one of his best projects and does not explore Ye’s  new style, but it fulfills what it set out to do. It was meant to be a redemption album for his fans, and it succeeded in doing so. This is a type of album that has something in store for everyone: Whether you are an Ye enjoyer or not.

For many music fans, the music of Hiranya Bhojpure is instantly recognizable, even before his name is. A former band member of the nationally acclaimed ‘Lekali Band’, his creativity extends beyond music. He is known for using his platform to voice the problems of people whose basic rights have been violated. He has also published over a dozen books of poetry, short stories, essays, and children's literature. 

‘Aang Sherpa & The Ocean of Heights’ is his latest release. Set in the Himalayan base camp and Everest, the story is inspired by real events and real figures.

There are two ways to approach a book inspired by real incidents. You can dive into the story without prior research, or you can enrich your experience by familiarizing yourself with the events that fueled Bhojpure’s imagination. 

The first is the 1996 Sagarmatha disaster. Some sherpas believed that the 1996 climbing season was fated for doom after two climbers had sex in a tent, an act they believed had angered the goddess Chomolunga, revered in Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Drawing from this, the main protagonist, Aang Sherpa, is portrayed as someone who indulged in sexual activity at the highest altitude as part of a project by Director Moor—a member of the Australian Climbing Society. This act makes him a celebrated figure in the society, while simultaneously drawing fierce backlash from Nepali communities who view his behavior as a desecration of the sacred mountain. This leaves Aang with two choices: settle into a comfortable life in Australia or return to Nepal and face the consequences.  

Though the choice is predictable, it still feels meaningful in how it reflects his values and identity.

Not being able to live without climbing again, he returns to Nepal, knowing he will face a lot of challenges. From giving up his prize money to foregoing a secured future, he accepts everything for the chance of climbing again. Moments like these deepen our understanding the characters, and the tension between cultural values and ambition elevates the storytelling. 

One of the novel’s strengths is its information in regards to culture and traditions like the ‘Rakshi Dalle Laddu’. The novel succeeds in showing the hardships that sherpas face during treacherous climbs. Bhojpure’s background as a singer and a poet lends a lyrical rhythm to his prose. The imagery of the mountains and the scenery are vivid throughout.

As this book is Bhojpure’s first attempt at long-form fiction, there are a few problems. The non-linear narrative structure of the novel makes the opening and some middle sections difficult to follow. Outside of Aang Sherpa himself, most characters receive little development, making it hard to feel invested in their choices or the emotional weight of outcomes that involve them. 

The book’s ending, too, feels somewhat forced and unnatural. Despite its flaws, the story manages to create a moment of tension during Aang’s return to Nepal. It is also worth noting that since this is Bhuwan Thapaliya’s first attempt at translation, some of the issues with the novel may be associated with translation itself.

Altogether, this book has its own charm and disadvantages. Certain passages of this book are lyrical and beautiful, while others leave the reader confused and disoriented. The plot is creative and entertaining, but the execution feels lacking.