First Man 2018

Non spoiler thoughts (summary): Feels like Interstellar with Chernobyl level anxiety. Pairing Chazelle with Linus Sandgren was a great call because the cinematography gives the whole experience both intimacy and scale. What I end up loving most is how the film balances technical immersion with emotional weight. The sound design, editing, and camera movement make the flight sequences incredibly overwhelming, while the performances keep the story grounded and human. For me, it feels like a space film driven less by glory and more by exhaustion, grief, and quiet perseverance. ⚠️ Spoilers ahead. From here on, plot details are discussed. Read on if you’ve seen the film. If not, save this post and come back after. ⚠️ If no one told me this was Damien Chazelle’s film, I honestly would have thought it was Christopher Nolan’s. The opening sequence alone feels like something straight out of Interstellar. That same level of physical realism and tangibility. The cockpit feels tight, the vibrations feel violent, and the danger feels immediate. Pairing Damien with Linus Sandgren was really chef’s kiss. Damien already did a great job making me feel like I was sitting inside the spacecraft with Neil. The docking sequence especially reminded me of 2001 A Space Odyssey because of the music choice. The way the moment is paired with what sounds like a classical inspired score immediately brought that Kubrick feeling to mind. Calm music accompanying an extremely delicate and dangerous maneuver in space. That contrast works beautifully. The spinning sequence with the Agena spacecraft is incredibly immersive. I think it was the first time I actually felt physically disoriented while watching a film. Even the famous docking scene in Interstellar did not make me feel that way. I do not know exactly what Damien, Linus, and the editor did there, but the combination of camera movement, cutting rhythm, and sound design made the moment overwhelming in the best way. I genuinely felt dizzy watching it. After that scene finished it felt like the first moment I could breathe again. Claire Foy also did a great job portraying a wife who is terrified for her husband’s life while trying to maintain a strong and composed facade. It is very different from her role as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, yet the performance is just as powerful! The farewell scene before the launch is also beautifully staged. It is heartbreaking watching Neil try to explain to his kids that he might not come back. The tension in that moment is heavy. The silence and the uncertainty make it incredibly painful. The overall tone of the film feels like a mix of Interstellar’s cinematic space exploration and HBO’s Chernobyl with its intimate and almost documentary style realism. Everything feels grounded and human despite the historic scale of the mission. Then the moment on the moon when Neil is finally alone and lets go of his daughter Karen’s bracelet is quietly devastating. After everything he endured to get there, that small gesture carries all the emotional weight of the journey.