First Man

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1:51

First Man

PG-13

2018

2h 21m

Biography

History

Drama

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

463 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Hoping to reach the moon by the end of the decade, NASA plans a series of extremely dangerous, unprecedented missions in the early 1960s. Engineer Neil Armstrong joins the space program, spending years in training and risking his life during test flights. On July 16, 1969, the nation and world watch in wonder as Armstrong and fellow astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins embark on the historic Apollo 11 spaceflight.

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Critics Consensus

First Man uses a personal focus to fuel a look back at a pivotal moment in human history - and takes audiences on a soaring dramatic journey along the way.

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

03/03/2020

Damien Chazelle is an enthusiastic, visually expressive filmmaker with practically nothing of interest to say about the human experience.

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Udita Jhunjhunwala

Livemint

07/29/2019

First Man doesn't just dwell on its subject's achievements. It takes a beat to glance into Armstrong's personal motivations and vulnerabilities while using technical mastery to tell an engrossing true-life story.

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Ryan Gilbey

New Statesman

01/26/2019

In those sequences when Armstrong is heading for the stars, the approach is so immersive on a sensory level -- cacophonous sound design, juddering cinematography verging on the abstract -- that it almost compensates for the void at the film's core.

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JD Duran

InSession Film

08/07/2024

First Man is extravagant filmmaking it every way. The craft is sharp. The story is surprising. The emotion is real.

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Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

07/14/2024

3/5

Subsequently, we also see how Armstrong looks to the moon for escapism. Behind First Man is a captivating look at grief.

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Ryan McQuade

InSession Film

04/03/2024

A

The cinematography in the film is fantastic and for his first film not about music, Chazelle gets the best score of any of his films from composer Justin Hurwitz, one that might just be my favorite score of the year so far

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Colin B

@RT19830193 Aug 18

Incredibly dull. Only the ending was enjoyable. Both the director and Ryan Gosling are very talented, but this was a huge miss. I love the space program, I know Neil was very quiet and kept to himself, but this will put the audience to sleep.

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Johannes S

@RT64416087 Aug 18

Starts off slow, but gives more insight into the life of Neil Armstrong and what he dealt with. Then the third act fully delivers, couldn't take my eyes off the screen.

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Peter J

@RT56025137 Jul 20

Neil Armstrong was an amazing man. The movie does a great job of highlighting Armstrong's biography "First Man". One big issue with the movie is the director including Gil Scot-Heron's poem. The poem was totally out of place, it would have ruined the movie but it is more important to focus on Armstrong's achievements along with the thousands of people, of ALL races, who contributed to one of the greatest accomplishments of all time.

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Los G

@Losmax Jun 7

Incredibly dull! I'm sure it looks fantastic on the big screen, but that doesn't translate to the smaller screens and with the absence of any strong narrative, this is a slow, slow ride. It doesn't help in comparison with the dramatic horror of Apollo 13 or the zinging, heroic swagger of The Right Stuff. Ultimately, Ryan Gosling plays a man with no personality - and nails it!

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Jay D

@JayJustLovesMovies May 23

Solid watch. I was engaged throughout the entire film. If the subject matter interests you even just a like, I would think you should enjoy this movie. I watched it on physical disc in 4k, and it was beautiful. If you're a 4k consumer, it's worth being in your collection.

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A D

@CutdarthVader Apr 9

This film isn't your typical Space drama. It is much more than that. It gives an insight into this very complex man and his motivations for going to the moon! He was after all an extraordinary man but yet only a man with hidden feelings! He had a tremendous loss in his daughter's death and yet he used his grief into this massive achievement. This film is not an easy watch but I have done this review after watching the film for the 3rd time. It is a slow burn but once you get it, it just overwhelms you with emotion. It is a beautiful film and great acting throughout. His wife must have been a strong woman to deal with Neil and their pain and suffering in silence! I love this film and it truly is like no other film of this Genre. Well shot, directed and acted and conveyed to us the watcher! Please give a chance this won't disappoint.

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Damien Chazelle

Director

Ryan Gosling

Neil Armstrong

Claire Foy

Janet Armstrong

Jason Clarke

Ed White

Kyle Chandler

Deke Slayton

Corey Stoll

Buzz Aldrin

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Synopsis

Hoping to reach the moon by the end of the decade, NASA plans a series of extremely dangerous, unprecedented missions in the early 1960s. Engineer Neil Armstrong joins the space program, spending years in training and risking his life during test flights. On July 16, 1969, the nation and world watch in wonder as Armstrong and fellow astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins embark on the historic Apollo 11 spaceflight.

Director: Damien Chazelle
Producer: Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Temple Hill Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Peril|Brief Strong Language|Some Thematic Content)
Genre: Biography, History, Drama, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 12, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $44.8M
Runtime: 2h 21m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, DTS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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