First Man (2018)

First Man (2018) — Biography / Drama / History First Man follows astronaut Neil Armstrong from the personal grief that follows a family tragedy through the high-stakes years of Project Gemini and Apollo, culminating in the July 20, 1969 Moon landing. The film traces roughly a decade of Armstrong’s life as he endures training, technical crises, and the emotional cost of a nation’s push to beat the Soviets in the Space Race. Along the way viewers see intimate domestic scenes with Armstrong’s wife and sons, the pressure and camaraderie of astronaut life, and the deadly risks that made each mission a gamble. Watching the movie is both a technical and emotional experience. It balances quiet, interior drama — a restrained, grieving man coping with loss and responsibility — with tense, visceral sequences of test flights, accidents, and launch operations. Expect a deliberate, immersive pace that emphasizes the human cost behind headline achievements: the slow accumulation of sacrifice, fear, and determination that leads to the Apollo 11 lunar landing. The Moon scenes themselves are rendered as eerie, awe-inspiring, and deeply silent moments that contrast with the noisy, chaotic world of mission control. Overall, First Man is a meditative biopic that blends historical detail with personal portraiture. Viewers will come away with an appreciation of the technical bravery required to reach the Moon, and a sobering sense of the personal and national toll exacted by one of humanity’s most dangerous and celebrated endeavors.

Actors: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke

Director: Damien Chazelle

Runtime: 141 min

Genres: Biography, Drama, History

6.4 /10 84 /100 7.3 /10 7.4 /10