Podcaster Matt Jarbo recently explained why he’s boycotting Project Hail Mary.
In a post to social media, he wrote, “Sorry Phil Lord and Chris Miller, I cannot, in good conscience, support Project Hail Marry after Andy Weir went on a stream with noted chud Critical Drinker.”
“For years this man has tried to destroy everything that you guys stand for, and to give him a pass like that is a bridge too far,” he added.
Project Hail Mary author Andy Weir appeared on Critical Drinker’s VIP Lounge on his Critical Drinker After Hours channel on March 25th.
The two had a pleasant conversation about the film and its story and how great it was that a non-franchise film was having success at the box office.
They also had an in-depth discussion about how he got his books not only published, but eventually picked up to be adapted into films. On top of that they discussed how he approaches writing his novels.
Weir is not the only one to do an interview with the Critical Drinker. Russell Crowe conducted an interview with him back in April 2023. He’s also interviewed Belgian directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, Back to the Future actor Thomas F. Wilson, and Hellboy director Neil Marshall.
Given Jarbo’s reasoning, one would expect he will be boycotting these individuals as well.
This boycott is unlikely to affect the film’s box office performance. The-Numbers reports the film has already grossed $103.6 million domestically and added another $60.4 million internationally for a global gross of $164 million.
The movie is also receiving a ton of praise. Bishop Robert Barron shared his thoughts on X, “It's very entertaining and uplifting and features a fine performance from Ryan Gosling. But what most intrigued me were the powerful Christian themes at play in it. The title, of course, refers to the Hail Mary pass in football, since the adventure undertaken is a fairly desperate attempt to save the planet. But it also becomes eminently clear that the reference is not just to football but to the Blessed Mother herself, for the Gosling character is undoubtedly a Christ-figure.”
“I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but it involves a willingness to sacrifice one's life utterly in order to deliver the entire human race from disaster. It is, of course, no accident that Gosling's character is called Ryland Grace, for throughout the movie, his presence and actions constitute undeserved favor to others. A particularly intriguing character in the film is a sober German scientist who relentlessly presses Grace to make the supreme sacrifice, even when he is unwilling. She represented for me the great moral demand that presses upon us throughout our lives, continually summoning us to self-gift. A last observation: Jesus had a second in command whom he called Peter (the Rock); Ryland Grace has a very unusual sidekick whom he calls ‘Rocky.’ I'll leave it at that,” he concluded.
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Really? The only ‘chud’ I see here, is Matt Jarbo. Matt Jarbo is trying to destroy everything we love, not the Critical Drinker.