My mission in October is usually to see every horror flick that hits theaters. In a surprising turn of events, I decided to review the biographical drama ‘First Man,’ directed by Damien Chazelle, simply because ‘Halloween’ doesn’t come out until next weekend. Bummer.

The question is, how did I like this movie?

First, let’s start with the pros. In my opinion, the acting was above average in most sequences. Ryan Gosling played Neil Armstrong adequately, although I felt his acting fell a little flat during some of the more intense scenes.

For example, when Armstrong and his men were launched into space and their entire capsule was shaking furiously, Gosling just sits in his harness staring blankly, despite him and his crew being violently jostled and seemingly in danger.

I understand that Neil Armstrong was extremely courageous for going into space and an American hero in his own right, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s realistic for him to be fearless and unaffected by his surroundings at all times. A little more emotion during instances like this would have been greatly appreciated and helped me empathize with Armstrong’s character.

Despite this, I thought his acting stood out in scenes where he had to convey emotions other than fear. When Armstrong was upset or depressed, I really felt for him. He experienced a lot of tragedies in the film and you can see his trauma develop as his hardships influence him.

Another acting standout was Claire Foy, who was cast as Neil’s wife, Janet Armstrong.

Out of all the characters, I believe Janet was faced with the most struggles in the movie. She had to live with the constant uncertainty of her husband’s well-being when he was in space, while also caring for two young boys single-handedly and coping with the loss of her young daughter due to the growth of a malignant tumor in her body. One could only imagine the pain Janet Armstrong was feeling during this time in her life, and Foy conveyed these emotions with authenticity.

Another aspect of the film I enjoyed was its visuals. One could easily tell this movie had a substantial budget, particularly in the editing and producing departments. The shots in space were especially impressive and made you feel as though you were standing on the moon’s surface with the astronauts, gazing upon the vast landscapes.

Surprisingly, one of my favorite scenes of the entire movie occurred during the first thirty minutes.

Armstrong, while at a small evening gathering with a few of his friends and family, looks up to the sky while the camera focuses on the full moon. It was a very significant moment as it helped put into perspective the task Neil Armstrong was faced with. I also thought it was a special, unique way to express his growth as an individual at the end of the movie when the film comes full circle and Armstrong finally lands on the moon he had been gazing upon his entire life.

With all that being said, ‘First Man’ definitely isn’t without its cons.

First of all, this movie isn’t very engaging, especially for high school students. I went to see the movie with two of my friends, Nina and Bella, and they weren’t necessarily interested in watching the film, to say the least. It doesn’t help that the run time is an exhausting two hours and twenty minutes.

It also takes a long time for the movie to pick up speed. A lot of the film is exposition, and the excitement level doesn’t really increase. This is not a “feel good” movie by any means, I found it to be very depressing and anti-climatic at times.

Because of this, I feel the film had a lot of wasted potentials. The acting and cinematography were good, but that doesn’t mean anything if you cannot keep viewers engaged in the story line.

So is ‘First Man’ out of this world? I wouldn’t say so, but if you are interested in the moon landing or Neil Armstrong’s legacy I’d say it is worth a watch. If you just want to see an entertaining movie with your friends this weekend, though, I’d suggest seeing something more stellar.

My final rating of ‘First Man’ is 6.5 out of ten stars.