First man is a modern retelling of the famous Apollo 11 mission. And honestly...this film is great. Damien Chazelle facing a difficult task of topping his previous works of Whiplash and Lala Land, he does so and exceeds our every expectation. Throwing us straight into a somewhat disorientating yet gorgeous opening, we’re introduced to Niel Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), our familiar lead, playing the young talented pilot in 1962. Though the pacing slow, a run time clocking in at 2 and a half hours, that’s almost expected. As for portraying one of humans' biggest and most ambitious adventures from earth, it’s going to need a bit of build-up towards which Damien executed perfectly. He introduces us to a fresh unique look at space films, focusing more on themes of grief and loss more than CGI and effects. Who knew it could be so easy for an astronaut to pull at our heartstrings? Which can only be accompanied by a wonderful, heartwarming, and at times ominous soundtrack to elevate emotions even more.

I always appreciate the sound design for a space movie. Directors choose lots of ways to portray the potential sounds of cinema in space. I feel as though First Man does this perfectly. Having completely silent shots when we’re out in space leaves you breathless and in my opinion, is the most effective way of doing so. I could only wish we spent more time on the moon with the astronauts, as the completely silent atmosphere really leaves you awe-struck. However, the time we do spend with Armstrong on the moon really lets you feel like you’re there and makes you realize how crazy the concept of humans on the moon really is. I feel sorry for the ones who believe the moon landing is fake, how ignorant of them. After Damien exposes us to the countless amounts of physical and mental sacrifices, blood sweat and tears, and hard work, you really can appreciate how much these astronauts went through to get to our moon.

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A real hidden gem of 2018, and one I need to watch again!

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4.5/5