This film is part of Rentals
First Man
Ryan Gosling stars as Neil Armstrong in this powerful and sometimes petrifying biopic from the director of La La Land.
Director: Damien Chazelle
Overview
Director Damien Chazelle takes a tonal turn following the swooning La La Land, bringing to the fore the tension and terror displayed in his debut Whiplash, with this intermittently nerve-shredding account of the 1969 Moon landings. Eschewing the jingoistic thrills of films like The Right Stuff (1983), Chazelle instead presents the 20th-century triumph as an intimate character study of the inscrutable Neil Armstrong, brilliantly portrayed by Gosling as the emotionally cold - almost blank - portal through which America's grand visions are tethered. Focusing on the psychic toll the moon-race has on Armstrong's wife (Claire Foy) and family, First Man questions whether such symbolic feats are ever worth the human cost.
Stunningly shot by cinematographer Linus Sandgren (American Hustle), and featuring as memorable musical cameo from soul artist Leon Bridges, Chazelle has crafted a distinctively understated and unromantic epic of American endeavour.
Related
Girls Will Be Girls Girls Will Be Girls
Drama 2024 119 mins Director: Shuchi Talati
Teenage romance simmers in a strict Himalayan boarding school in this sublime coming-of-age tale. Winner of the 2024 Sundance audience prize.
The Goldman Case The Goldman Case
Drama 2023 116 mins Director: Cédric Kahn
Gripping courtroom drama based on the explosive 1976 murder trial of French political activist, Pierre Goldman.
In Camera In Camera
Drama 2024 95 mins Director: Naqqash Khalid
A struggling actor faces relentless knockbacks in Naqqash Khalid’s sharp-witted comment on race and identity in the film industry.
Kneecap Kneecap
Drama 2024 105 mins Director: Rich Peppiatt
Fantastically outlandish biopic about the anarchic Belfast rap trio and their fight to save the Irish language.
The Post The Post
Drama 2017 116 mins Director: Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed, gripping and timely drama about the publishing of the Pentagon Papers, featuring Tom Hanks and an Oscar-nominated performance from Meryl Streep.
Denial Denial
Drama 2017 110 mins Director: Mick Jackson
Powerful, aggressively relevant courtroom drama restaging the trial that questioned the events of the Holocaust. Rachel Weisz and Timothy Spall star.
The Elephant Man The Elephant Man
Biopic 1980 124 mins Director: David Lynch
David Lynch's moving true-life tale of the severely deformed Joseph Merrick and his rescue from the hell of a Victorian circus sideshow.
Arcadia Arcadia
Drama 2016 10 mins
Waking in the mysterious forest, amnesiac Samantha undertakes a journey accompanied by the witty yet puzzling Sebastian...
Football Football
Sport 1967 28 mins Silent
Clement Freud explores the importance of football to the people of Liverpool - be they backing Liverpool or Everton in the FA Cup.
Military Tournament at Batley Football Ground (1902) Military Tournament at Batley Football Ground (1902)
Non-Fiction 1902 5 mins Silent Location: Batley
A display of strength and skill in a Lancashire military tournament.
Fahrenheit 11/9 Fahrenheit 11/9
Documentary 2018 128 mins Director: Michael Moore
Michael Moore paints a fiery portrait of life in Trump’s America. Populist, provocative and piercingly captivating, this is Moore’s clarion call to action.
Two for Joy Two for Joy
Drama 2018 90 mins Director: Tom Beard
A visceral, moving exploration of one British family's life following a tragedy, starring Samantha Morton, Daniel Mays and Billie Piper.
La La Land La La Land
Comedy 2016 128 mins Director: Damien Chazelle
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone channel old-school Hollywood glamour in this bright and playful romantic musical from director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash).
La La Land La La Land
Comedy 2016 128 mins Director: Damien Chazelle
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone channel old-school Hollywood glamour in this bright and playful romantic musical from director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash).
South: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Glorious Epic of the Antarctic South: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Glorious Epic of the Antarctic
Documentary 1919 81 mins Silent Director: Frank Hurley
An extraordinary story of survival in the wastes of Antarctica.
Night Courier (Mandoob) Night Courier (Mandoob)
Comedy 2023 112 mins Director: Ali Kalthami
A desperate delivery driver gets caught up in the dark underworld of Riyadh in Ali Kalthami’s gripping, pitch-black satire.
The Ballymurphy Precedent The Ballymurphy Precedent
Documentary 2018 108 mins Director: Callum Macrae
John Pilger's film on the conflict in Northern Ireland is a skilful mix of investigative journalism, documentary storytelling and reflections on contemporary history.
Utopia Utopia
Documentary 2013 111 mins Director: John Pilger and Alan Lowery
John Pilger's portrayal of the oldest continuous human culture is also an investigation into a suppressed colonial past, and rapacious present.
The Coming War on China The Coming War on China
Documentary 2016 113 mins Director: John Pilger
John Pilger’s prescient 60th film for ITV is both a warning and an inspiring story of resistance.
Girls Will Be Girls Girls Will Be Girls
Drama 2024 119 mins Director: Shuchi Talati
Teenage romance simmers in a strict Himalayan boarding school in this sublime coming-of-age tale. Winner of the 2024 Sundance audience prize.