20 Secret Movie Sub-Plots You Didn't Notice

19. The Tattoo Tells the Story - Project Hail Mary (2026)

In recent hit Project Hail Mary, Ryan Gosling portrays a heroic teacher sent into space to save the world, and in the background stands the mastermind of his mission, Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller).

Though it's never spelled out in the movie, which spends most of its runtime focused solely on a lonely Gosling and the new alien friend he's made on his journey to save the day, it's clear a lot has changed back on earth for the people he left behind. 

At film's end, Stratt is seen sporting a tattoo on her neck, designed in the shape of a "V", which writer Andy Weir added to suggest she was sent to prison with a life sentence because the world's governments rebelled against her radical methods to save them. It appears that she's escaped jail, free but now a wanted woman. 

It's a very subtle narrative suggestion, but a powerful one that serves as a reminder Gosling wasn't the only hero in Project Hail Mary.