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First Man poster

Movies that feel likeFirst Man (2018)

A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

If you loved First Man, the closest films we have are Salyut-7 (2017), The Spacewalker (2017) and Padmaavat (2018). All three share First Man's epic and contemplative feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Trekkies (1997).

πŸ… 87% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.3 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Damien Chazelleepiccontemplativeaweobsessive
7 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Β· Amazon Prime Video Β· MUBI

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See it on the Mood Map

If First Man hit the spot, these will too

Salyut-7 poster
Salyut-7
2017 Β· dir. Klim Shipenko
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.2action Β· drama Β· adventure

Common ground: space mission

The difference: Takes it somewhere less obsessive than First Man does

USSR, June 1985. After contact with the Salyut 7 space station is lost, cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Viktor Savinykh dock with the empty, frozen craft, and bring her back to life. Based on actual events.

The Spacewalker poster
The Spacewalker
2017 Β· dir. Dmitry Kiselyov
β˜… 7.2adventure Β· drama Β· historyPrime Video

Epic and contemplative in the same breath

The difference: Trades the obsession of First Man for an angle of its own

March 1965. In the heat of the Cold War, the USA and the USSR are competing for supremacy in space. What both superpowers aim for in this race, is to be the first to have a man walk in outer space. To accomplish that, no price is too high and no risk is too great. Now it’s up to the unlikely duo of a seasoned war veteran and a hot-headed test-pilot to fulfill this mission. Two men in a tiny spaceship, without proper testing, facing the complete unknown. They were supposed to do what no man has done beforeβ€”and no man imagined what would happen next.

Padmaavat poster
Padmaavat
2018 Β· dir. Sanjay Leela Bhansali
πŸ… 55%β˜… 7.1drama Β· history Β· romanceNetflix

One thread runs through both: obsession

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

Rajputana, India, 13th century. The tyrannical usurper Alauddin Khilji, sultan of Delhi, becomes obsessed with Queen Padmavati, wife of King Ratan Singh of Mewar, and goes to great lengths to satisfy his greed for her.

Nymphomaniac: Vol. I poster
Nymphomaniac: Vol. I
2013 Β· dir. Lars von Trier
πŸ… 77%β˜… 6.9drama

Obsessive drama, and it commits to that

A man named Seligman finds a fainted wounded woman in an alley and he brings her home. She tells him that her name is Joe and that she is nymphomaniac. Joe tells her life and sexual experiences with hundreds of men since she was a young teenager while Seligman tells about his hobbies, such as fly fishing, reading about Fibonacci numbers or listening to organ music.

Two Sons of Francisco poster
Two Sons of Francisco
2005 Β· dir. Breno Silveira
πŸ… 80%β˜… 6.9drama Β· history Β· music

Both keep coming back to the same thing: a true story

The difference: Leans harder into music than First Man does

The story of Francisco, a very simple and poor man whose dream was to see his children become country music stars, and who made all the efforts to make it happen.

Whiplash poster
Whiplash
2014 Β· dir. Damien Chazelle
πŸ… 94%β˜… 8.5drama Β· music Β· thriller

The same hand behind both of them: Damien Chazelle

Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity.

Crumb poster
Crumb
1995 Β· dir. Terry Zwigoff
πŸ… 95%β˜… 8documentary

Both are built on the same subject: biography

The difference: 23 years apart, and the 1990s show

This movie chronicles the life and times of R. Crumb. Robert Crumb is the cartoonist/artist who drew Keep On Truckin', Fritz the Cat, and played a major pioneering role in the genesis of underground comix. Through interviews with his mother, two brothers, wife, ex-wife and ex-girlfriends, as well as selections from his vast quantity of graphic art, we are treated to a darkly comic ride through one man's subconscious mind.

The Master poster
The Master
2012 Β· dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.1drama

Both lean on stillness more than on history

Freddie, a volatile, heavy-drinking veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, finds some semblance of a family when he stumbles onto the ship of Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic leader of a new "religion" he forms after World War II.

Phantom Thread poster
Phantom Thread
2017 Β· dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7.4drama Β· romanceNetflix

The same preoccupation in both: obsession

In 1950s London, a renowned dressmaker's meticulous lifestyle begins drastically changing as his relationship with his young muse intensifies.

Thelma poster
Thelma
2017 Β· dir. Joachim Trier
πŸ… 92%β˜… 6.9drama Β· mystery Β· thriller

Obsessive drama in both cases

A college student starts to experience extreme seizures. She soon learns that the violent episodes are a symptom of inexplicable abilities.

Tony Takitani poster
Tony Takitani
2004 Β· dir. Jun Ichikawa
πŸ… 88%β˜… 7.2drama

History with a pulse of stillness, in both cases

A reclusive illustrator falls in love with a young woman who addictively shops for clothing.

Trekkies poster
Trekkies
1997 Β· dir. Roger Nygard
πŸ… 88%β˜… 6.9documentaryPrime Video

History built on awe, twice over

Denise Crosby takes a first look at the huge fans of "Star Trek" from around America and how the series has affected and shaped their lives.

In the mood for more epic?

all epic movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share First Man’s defining feeling.