Ryan Gosling’s ‘First Man’ Is a Great Double Feature With ‘Project Hail Mary’

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In 2026, Ryan Gosling will star in Project Hail Mary, a new science fiction adventure where he plays an astronaut on a world-saving mission. Early reviews are excellent, and many are predicting it will be a strong contender for Oscars next year. This role comes eight years after Gosling played a real astronaut in First Man, a critically acclaimed film that unfortunately didn’t find much success with audiences or the Academy Awards.

The film First Man stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, and tells the story of the years leading up to and including the Apollo 11 mission. It explores the personal sacrifices Armstrong and those around him made during this challenging time. Directed by Damien Chazelle, who previously worked with Gosling on La La Land, First Man came after Chazelle won an Academy Award for Best Director. While it didn’t achieve major Oscar success, many consider it one of the best films of its year – a powerful and emotional story about the incredible things science can achieve, even with its uncertainties. This makes First Man a fantastic pairing with the novel Project Hail Mary.

The ‘First Man’ American Flag Controversy That Impacted Its Oscar Chances

The film First Man premiered at the Venice Film Festival on August 29, 2018, and was released widely on October 12, 2018. Universal Pictures hoped the film, a reunion between La La Land’s director Damien Chazelle and actor Ryan Gosling, would be a strong contender for Oscars. However, just two days after its premiere, the movie sparked controversy. Reports surfaced that it didn’t depict the astronauts planting the American flag on the moon, drawing criticism from Republican Senator Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump.

Although the film First Man prominently featured the American flag in many scenes – including those at NASA and on the moon – a lack of footage showing Neil Armstrong planting the flag sparked controversy. Conservative media outlets, like Fox News, quickly criticized the movie as “un-American,” potentially discouraging some viewers from seeing it in theaters. First Man debuted at number three in the box office rankings, behind Venom and A Star is Born in their second weeks of release.

Even though critics loved First Man – it earned an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and appeared on many “Best of 2018” lists – the film didn’t perform well in theaters. This led Universal Pictures to shift its focus and resources to Green Book, which had recently won an audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival. This decision proved successful, as Green Book ultimately won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

‘First Man’ Was Snubbed by Major Awards Shows

Despite winning the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, many felt First Man was overlooked at the 91st Academy Awards. It was arguably the biggest disappointment of the night, as films like Vice, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Green Book received Best Picture nominations instead.

Many felt Ryan Gosling deserved an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Neil Armstrong. However, his nuanced and understated performance didn’t seem to resonate with Academy voters, who that year preferred more dramatic and showy acting, as seen in performances by Viggo Mortensen in Green Book, Christian Bale in Vice, and ultimately, Best Actor winner Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody. They seemed to prioritize grand displays over subtle skill.

Despite its impressive sound design, which realistically portrays the danger of early spaceflights and puts viewers in the astronauts’ shoes, First Man lost both sound awards to Bohemian Rhapsody. This effectively made Rami Malek’s performance of lip-syncing appear as genuine singing. Adding to the disappointment, the film’s cinematography, beautifully captured by Linus Sandgren with an intimate and documentary-like style, wasn’t even nominated. This oversight is particularly noticeable considering First Man features a breathtaking shift from a standard widescreen format to the immersive IMAX format during the moon landing sequence – a truly stunning visual achievement.

‘First Man’ Is a Secular Test of Faith

Beyond any snubs at awards shows, First Man is truly one of the best films of the 2010s. Ryan Gosling gives a standout performance, arguably his best dramatic work of the decade, and the entire supporting cast is exceptional. Claire Foy, as Neil Armstrong’s wife Janet, delivers what might be the best performance of her career – and that’s high praise considering her Emmy-winning role as Queen Elizabeth in The Crown. The film really centers around the relationship between Gosling and Foy’s characters, exploring how Armstrong’s reserved nature impacted their marriage. First Man is just as much a compelling relationship story as it is a movie about the Apollo 11 mission.

The film features a fantastic cast of character actors in supporting roles – you might not know their names, but you’ll definitely recognize their faces. Standouts include Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Ciarán Hinds, Corey Michael Smith, and Corey Stoll, who perfectly embodies Buzz Aldrin. This was recently highlighted in a Letterboxd video where Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hüller tried to guess movies based on user reviews. One user, Rory, gave First Man four stars and described it as having “the biggest collection of ‘oh s it’s that guy’ actors ever assembled.”

Beyond the stunning direction by Damien Chazelle and excellent acting, what truly makes First Man special is its powerful message. The film connects the monumental achievement of the Apollo 11 mission to deeply personal human experiences, particularly the Armstrong family’s loss to cancer, which subtly drives Neil’s dedication. The movie portrays Armstrong’s commitment to science and exploration as a kind of belief system – a test of what humanity can achieve. It asks: can we reach for the impossible, like walking on the moon, even when faced with challenges like incurable diseases? The film suggests that just as the moon once seemed unreachable, breakthroughs in science and medicine could one day overcome even the most devastating illnesses.

Why First Man Is a Great Companion Piece for Project Hail Mary

Both First Man and Project Hail Mary are excellent films to watch together. While First Man feels understated and reflects the reserved nature of the 1950s and 60s, and Project Hail Mary is a more modern, energetic blockbuster, they share similar themes. Both stories celebrate the strength of the human spirit, the value of scientific exploration, and the importance of human connection.

Both First Man and Project Hail Mary celebrate the power of teamwork to achieve seemingly impossible goals – whether it’s landing on the moon or saving humanity. These stories emphasize the value of science, technology, engineering, and math – fields that have faced challenges in recent years, particularly during the Trump administration. It’s interesting to note that both films were released while Donald Trump was in office. Could this timing be more than just chance?

Released in the 2010s, First Man is a standout film and one of Ryan Gosling’s strongest performances. It deserves to be remembered as a great movie, separate from any talk of awards or controversy. With the popularity of Project Hail Mary, we hope more people will be inspired to watch First Man again, or experience it for the first time.

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2026-03-28 19:22