Ah, the 60s. JFK, Martin Luther King, the rise of NASA, and Jazz, the 60s were the time that defined America. But also the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the space race showed America’s true colors. However, on July 16, 1969, USA won the Space Race. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong floated from Earth to the Moon to be the first to approach the Moon and the first to walk on it. And while there are many conspiracy theories regarding the moon landing, keep them to yourself, as Damion Chazelle (Academy Award for Best Director) believed this truly uplifting story, and created his most unique tale yet.

Damion Chazelle (who also directed Whiplash and La La Land) wanted to create a story that revolves on Armstrong and Armstrong only. Apart from a few sequences in space, the entire story is set on Earth, showing the hardships that Armstrong went through and how, despite his stoic and irregular emotions, is someone who is hurting. Before we get to the performances, script, and directing, the best thing I can say about this movie is that the Space scenes looked and felt like they shot it in space (fun fact: the moon landing scenes were actually shot at a park at night, using the biggest light ever used in a Hollywood film). The close-ups and the constant camera movement physically made you sick but also on the edge of your seat for what happens next. And this all leads to the beautiful moon shot, as the camera pans around the landscape, showing the true sense of what space really feels like. Going to the performances the main stars are Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy (playing Armstrong’s wife). Both of them created a stoic, damaged, bleak but supporting relationship. As she worries for Armstrong, she also has to experience the impacts of the moon landing with her friends. And, without going into spoilers, there are some decisions this movie makes that are both respectable but may differ based on your perspective. This leads me to my main issue with this film, which is that the script cannot balance Armstrong’s life, the NASA subplot, and focus on creating an entertaining movie, as a good hour or so can be described as boring and very, very bland. This was disappointing because I expected more from the movie, coming from a praised director. However, is this a deal breaker? Absolutely not.

While I think this movie has many issues regarding its pacing and script, I definitely think this movie is a must-watch. I rate it a B+. It is rated PG-13 and you can watch it in theaters today. Thank you guys for reading and comment below on more movies you think I should review.