First Man

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.

87%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 423

67%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 8,271
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Movie Info

On the heels of their six-time Academy Award (R)-winning smash, La La Land, Oscar (R)-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for Universal Pictures' First Man, the riveting story of NASA's mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969. A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost on Armstrong and on the nation of one of the most dangerous missions in history.
  • Rating:
    PG-13 (for some thematic content involving peril, and brief strong language)
  • Genre:
    Drama
  • Directed By:
    Damien Chazelle
  • Written By:
    Josh Singer
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Universal Pictures

Cast

Ryan Gosling
as Neil Armstrong
Claire Foy
as Janet Armstrong
Jason Clarke
as Edward Higgins White
Kyle Chandler
as Deke Slayton
Corey Stoll
as Buzz Aldrin
Ciarán Hinds
as Gene Kranz
Christopher Abbott
as Dave Scott
Patrick Fugit
as Elliott See
Ethan Embry
as Pete Conrad
Lukas Haas
as Mike Collins
Shea Whigham
as Gus Grissom
Pablo Schreiber
as Jim Lovell
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Critic Reviews for First Man

All Critics (423) | Top Critics (50) | Fresh (367) | Rotten (56)

  • A fascinating film, it's difficult to watch at times because there's so much loss and so much risk that we never really thought about that lead us getting there.

    Mar 21, 2019 | Full Review…

    tt stern-enzi

    WXIX-TV (Cincinnati, OH)
    Top Critic

  • This is a movie that - flag or no flag - doesn't need to take a political stance to make a political statement. ●

    Oct 18, 2018 | Full Review…

    Alison Willmore

    BuzzFeed News
    Top Critic

  • A long, draining, almost painful film that commands admiration more than love.

    Oct 14, 2018 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Matthew Norman

    London Evening Standard
    Top Critic

  • As long as First Man is airborne, it's a marvel. I can't recall another movie that conveyed with such punch the perils and exhilarations of spaceflight. It's when the film is earthbound that it falls down.

    Oct 12, 2018 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

    Peter Rainer

    Christian Science Monitor
    Top Critic

  • It's a movie where the technique matches the ambition, one that moves from tragedy to grandeur to personal drama without becoming bombastic or even worse, falsely patriotic.

    Oct 12, 2018 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Paul Byrnes

    Sydney Morning Herald
    Top Critic

  • Ryan Gosling's impassive visage must have the gravitational pull of a black hole, because Chazelle can't seem to keep his camera from being pulled loose from its moorings and drawn in thisclose for more than one or two scenes at a time.

    Oct 12, 2018 | Rating: 1/5 | Full Review…

    Matthew Lickona

    San Diego Reader
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (423)

Audience Reviews for First Man

  • Jul 24, 2019
    Damien Chazelle sheds light on the personal tolls of Neil Armstrong in First Man with introspective direction and moving audio. The film's astronomical sequences and intimate performance from Gosling make for a fairly solid piece on one of the giant leaps in the history of mankind. 3.95/5
    Eugene B Super Reviewer
  • Jul 02, 2019
    This is the bio of the man and his family. Slow and dramatic, this will test your patience if you're expecting a moon landing focused storyline. This deserved more award recognition, but plays too much like an indie film for the mainstream audience that it was marketed to. This was slightly ignored on release and its indie style my have put some off. Great bio film and that final landing is incredible to watch. Full of depth and accuracy. 16/06/2019
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
  • Feb 18, 2019
    Every time that someone's on a spacecraft, I was into First Man. It might genuinely be the first time I didn't hate scenes shot with continual use of shaky cam, which is noteworthy. But by and large First Man was not for me, biopics often aren't, and First Man is absolutely a biopic. It's not about NASA, or the Space Race, or landing on the moon, on astronauts, those things are present, but it's about Armstrong. I know that, because he is the only person, place or thing we get any real insight into.
    Gimly M Super Reviewer
  • Jan 28, 2019
    There is, about society, a nonchalance about things that involve risk and take effort outside of ourselves: "Aww, that wasn't nothing!" The point of this retelling of Neil Armstrong's first step on the Moon is to remove that nonchalance, and so we are treated to a close-up look of the extreme effort and undeniable risk, and the creeping toll that took on the souls involved. Stripped away are the token patriotism and grandstanding, flag-waving, and we are left with a singular human achievement that touches our lives still. An intelligent and understanding effort.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
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