First Man

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First Man

PG-13

Released Oct 12, 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

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

Mar 3, 2020

Full Review

Udita Jhunjhunwala

Livemint

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.

Jul 29, 2019

Full Review

Ryan Gilbey

New Statesman

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.

Jan 26, 2019

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JD Duran

InSession Film

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

Aug 7, 2024

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Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

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

Rated: 3/5

Jul 14, 2024

Full Review

Ryan McQuade

InSession Film

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

Rated: A

Apr 3, 2024

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Brian H

This is an unwatchable move in line with with the unwatchability of Marie Antoinette (2006)

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/29/25

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Mate P

First Man is a well-crafted movie with a simple story and good characters. Neil Armstrong isn't a person I'm very interested in, so the reason I watched this movie was Ryan Gosling and Damien Chazelle. The writing was able to make me care for the characters, who were well-written. The story is simple and predictable, because I knew which Apollo would land on the Moon. The direction is amazing, the character-driven, dramatic tone is fitting. The cinematography is absolutely perfect. The lighting is gorgeous, while also grounded. They used 16mm, 35mm and IMAX 70mm perfectly, but unfortunately I wasn't able to experience the aspect ratio change. The editing is good, but I did feel the film's length, that's mainly why it's "only" 8/10 for me. The score is amazing and it takes huge part in building tension. The cast is good, the performances are great, but Ryan Gosling is in a league of his own. First Man has perfect cinematography, an amazing score and great acting performances.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/23/25

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CaptainBoulder T

Amazing movie that shows you the tragic and triumphant life of Neil Armstrong

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/16/25

Full Review

bao s

Ryan's everyman persona works well portraying, the exceptional man, Neil Armstrong. Note to the cinematographer: Please keep the camera steady, unless it's warranted, like the launching sequences. I'm not sure you need the same effect in the living room of the Armstrong household.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/14/25

Full Review

Massive L

Incredible cinematography supported by a great score (of course by Justin Hurwitz). Balances praise with honesty well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/06/25

Full Review

Kobi A

Damien Chazelle is my favorite director, and his direction is the best part about this movie. But maaaaaaaan, this script does not match the brilliance of his presentation. It's exceptionally dull and I don't buy Ryan Gosling in this role, I'm sorry. Great performance from Claire Foy and some excellent sequences here and there but the screenplay really sinks this one for me.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/07/25

Full Review

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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

First Man: Official Clip - The Eagle Has Landed

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First Man: Official Clip - Test Flight Crash

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First Man: Official Clip - Telling The Kids

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First Man: Official Clip - Landing the Test Plane

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First Man: Official Clip - The Bracelet

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First Man: Official Clip - Astronaut Training

3:08

First Man: Official Clip - What Are Your Chances?

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First Man: Official Clip - We Have Liftoff

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First Man: Official Clip - Out of Control

4:32

First Man: Official Clip - One Small Step For Man

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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, Damien Chazelle
Screenwriter: Josh Singer
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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