8 Funniest Sci-Fi Movies To Watch After Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary was a surprisingly funny science fiction movie, and these eight hilarious offerings are the perfect way to follow it up. Despite having a great deal of dramatic weight and tremendous stakes, the Prime Video streaming hit also has a lot of laughs, especially stemming from the shockingly charismatic relationship between Dr. Ryland Grace and his friend Rocky.

This makes sense when considering the talent behind the camera. The directors of the 12-year-old The Lego Movie, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, helmed the new science fiction hit. Their career has been full of comic sensibilities, in addition to the exciting lore-focused films they have produced, like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel.

Lord and Miller notably directed the 21 Jump Street franchise, showing the importance of comedy to their careers. Paired with the light-hearted characterization seen in Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary novel, the directors were able to craft a truly wondrous science fiction viewing experience full of heart and excellent effects, in addition to its tremendous sense of humor.

Marrying excellent science fiction with fantastic comedy is a difficult task, but a number of films through the years have done a great job in accomplishing exactly this. With a long legacy of contemplative fodder in the genre, there have actually been quite a few fantastic films through the years that have yeilded some fantastic and relatable humor.

Men In Black

One of the best science fiction comedies of all time, Men in Black examined the possibility of extra-terrestrial life already embedded in human society, with aliens living secretly among humans. The film’s depiction of a bureaucratic organization that monitors and polices them was brilliant.

Telling the story through the eyes of Will Smith’s new recruit, Agent J, was the perfect choice. Like Grace in Project Hail Mary, J gave a humorous anchor for the audience to latch on to, showing incredible concepts and relationships through a grounded human lens.

While the science fiction action and fantasy seen in Men in Black are certainly more bombastic than Project Hail Mary, the heart and character work of the film make it a perfect palate cleanser after 2026’s big sci-fi hit.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy does a fantastic job of adapting the spirit of Douglas Adams’ science fiction masterpiece, which sees Arthur Dent processing the loss of his home while traveling through space.

This human story of loss mirrors that of Grace, who also believes he will never see his home again. These respective examinations of character then have a great deal of morose sorrow tied into their premises, and find a way to work through that with deeply creative humor.

Granted, Hitchhiker’s Guide is much sillier. The film features an Infinite Improbability Drive that randomly turns two homing torpedoes into a whale and a bowl of flowers, as only one example. Steeped in dry humor, Hitchhiker’s Guide is an absurdist bent on surprisingly similar material to Project Hail Mary.

Evolution

Evolution is another very silly science fiction that focuses on incredible events with significant dramatic stakes. In the film, Earth is accosted by an alien invasion, and it is up to a bumbling group of scientists to save the day.

This immediately draws parallels to Grace’s mission in Project Hail Mary, although the events of the film are decidedly more terrestrial. Featuring David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Orlando Jones, and Seann William Scott, Evolution is a hilarious sci-fi offering.

With such absurd plans as spraying the aliens with shampoo, the film takes the human spirit and applies its can-do attitude to whatever comes the characters’ way. In this, it mirrors much of what occurs in Project Hail Mary.

Mars Attacks!

Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! is a wildly entertaining thrill ride of a comedy. Its surprisingly prestigious cast, including Jack Nicholson and Glenn Close, does a powerful job in providing the film, which often feels like a classic B-movie, with some great dramatic heft.

This contrast helps this absurd film to work so well. With excellent creature designs, slapstick humor, and some fantastic character moments, Mars Attacks! does a great job telling a gripping science fiction story while also being undeniably funny.

Project Hail Mary certainly takes a different approach to aliens, as well as to the potential end of the world, making this film such a treat to watch as a companion to the latest sci-fi epic.

The Fifth Element

Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element is an excellent science fiction movie that is colorful, compelling, and fantastical. Starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich, the movie tells a great story about protecting humanity during the 23rd century.

While not an overt comedy, there is a surprising amount of humor in the film. Chris Tucker’s Ruby Rhod is a great comedic standout, and Gary Oldman’s Zorg is a ridiculous villain with some great slapstick moments.

Project Hail Mary is a very different kind of science fiction, but the two movies are both great examples of how humor can most effectively be used in the science fiction genre.

Paul

Superbad director Greg Mottola reteamed with Seth Rogen for Paul, one of the best science fiction comedies of the 2010s. The road trip film featured a script by co-stars Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, and told the story of two science-fiction-loving nerds helping an alien escape from Earth.

The friendship at the heart of the film, between Paul the alien and the human characters, is an interesting comparison to the one between Rocky and Grace. While Paul is more irreverent, featuring jokes about smoking marijuana, the same kind of heart can be found in its story.

Like with Project Hail Mary, humor is used here to tell a compelling character story. In this, Paul is one of the most underrated and overlooked comedies in recent years.

WALL-E

One of Pixar’s best movies, WALL-E, is a surprisingly emotional tale about a connection between two robots, set against the backdrop of a devastated Earth. These apocalyptic outlooks match the feelings shown in Project Hail Mary, and the animated film also allows deep room for humor.

In physical comedy, with the titular robot’s attempt to find proof that the Earth can be revitalized, the film especially shines. In addition, the dystopian outlook of the film, with a commercially sponsored future in spaceships around the planet, is surprisingly thoughtful.

WALL-E wears its heart on its sleeve, but the film also makes great use of the usual Pixar charm and humor. Wrapping this up in a beautifully animated package, this feature is one of the best science fiction comedies ever made.

Don’t Look Up

Niko Tavernise/©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

Don’t Look Up has one of the best casts in recent history, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Timothée Chalamet among many others. The film takes an irreverent look at a far-too-realistically divided society against the backdrop of a world-ending event.

While Project Hail Mary contains much more hope, Don’t Look Up is a thoughtful counterpoint. It is certainly not as uplifting, but the film’s comedy is strong, especially as it comes from director Adam McKay, best known for comedies like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Step Brothers.

Like Lord and Miller, McKay has moved away from straight comedies and into more complicated dramatic stories that still have a humorous edge. All of this might make Don’t Look Up, with its thoughtful script and compelling characters, the best film to watch after Project Hail Mary.

Release Date

March 15, 2026

Runtime

157 minutes

Director

Christopher Miller, Phil Lord