--- title: "Apollo 11" year: 2019 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/apollo-11" fi1m_score: 85 critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 21 published: "2026-09-17T05:34:01.385085+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T05:34:25.074390+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Apollo 11 (2019) Directed by Todd Douglas Miller · 1h 33m · MPA G · Documentary, History, Drama **Fi1m score: 85** · Critics 84 from 21 reviews *In a sentence:* Fifty years in a vault, and the 65mm launch still looks like it might not work > Todd Douglas Miller has assembled the moon landing from NASA’s own film and audio, with no narrator and no one looking back. The launch is as frightening a piece of cinema as we have seen in years; the quieter stretches in the capsule show where the archive runs thin. ## Synopsis It is the morning of 16 July 1969 at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins are being helped into their suits while the Saturn V rocket stands on the pad, venting vapour into the dawn. Along the beaches and causeways, families have parked their cars overnight to watch. In the firing room, rows of men in short-sleeved shirts work through the countdown, and Walter Cronkite talks the nation through the wait. The three men mean to reach the moon, put two of them on it and bring all three home, and the first thing in their way is the launch itself. The film uses only footage and audio recorded at the time, with no narration and no interviews. ## Review Todd Douglas Miller has made a film about the first moon landing out of nothing but what was filmed and recorded at the time. There is no narrator, no historian in an armchair, no astronaut in his eighties remembering. The footage runs in order, from the crawler carrying the Saturn V to the pad through to the splashdown, and the only voices are the ones that spoke in July 1969. It is a simple idea and it is hard to do well. Miller does it well, and for the first half hour he does it as well as we have seen it done. The reason is the film stock. A good deal of what we see was shot on 65mm by NASA’s own cameras and then left in storage for half a century, and it has come out looking as if it were shot last week. The crowds on the Florida beaches, with their station wagons and folding chairs and sunhats, are in colour so full that the 1960s stop looking like the past. A woman in a printed dress adjusts a pair of binoculars. A boy sleeps on the bonnet of a car. Miller, who is also his own editor, keeps cutting back to these people, and we came to see why: they are the only ones in the film as helpless as we are. Then the rocket goes. Miller holds a countdown clock in the corner of the frame and lets the firing room, the pad and the beach share the screen, and Matt Morton’s score, played on synthesisers, climbs under it without once getting in the way of the voices. At ignition the camera is a few yards from the flame, ice falling from the tanks in slabs, and the picture shakes because the ground did. We held our breath, which is a stupid thing to do when you know how it ends, and we did not let it out until the first stage fell away. We have watched a great many launches on film. This one felt as if it might not work. The middle of the film belongs to the crew, and here the archive is thinner. Once the men are in the capsule the footage is 16mm, shot by the astronauts themselves, and it is grainy, badly lit and often pointed at nothing much. Miller fills the gaps with plain line drawings of the spacecraft turning and separating, and with long stretches of mission audio over still or near-still images. This is honest, and some of it is lovely; Collins alone in the command module with the earth in the window is a picture we will keep. But it is also where we felt the running time, short as it is. For ten or fifteen minutes the film is a radio play with a slideshow. The descent brings it back. Charles Duke’s voice from Houston, a computer alarm nobody expected, a fuel count read aloud in seconds, and Gene Kranz’s team at their consoles, smoking, not moving. Miller uses split screens so that we watch the men who cannot see what we are seeing. The landing footage is the footage everyone has seen, and it has never been shown this clearly; you can watch the dust go out flat under the engine instead of billowing, because there is no air for it to billow in. What the film will not do is explain. It does not tell you who these men were, what the mission cost or what it was for, beyond a few seconds of John F. Kennedy at a podium. It trusts you to know, or not to mind. Most critics have counted that as a virtue and so, mostly, do we; the one dissenting review complains that Miller brings nothing to the material but a tidy order, and there are moments in the capsule when that is a fair description. He has chosen to be a window rather than a guide, and a window is only as good as what is on the other side of it. See it on the largest screen you can, with the sound turned up; the launch does not survive a laptop speaker. Certificate U, 93 minutes, and the people in the parked cars steal it. *Fi1m score 85, published 17 September 2026.* ### Reviews we read (21) - **Radio Times**, Jamie Healy (5/5): The critic commends the film's use of restored footage and sourced audio to present the mission with unprecedented clarity and epic scale. It notes the awe-inspiring visuals of the launch and lunar surface while acknowledging minor quibbles with editing choices. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-kirxkz/apollo-11/) - **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★★★): The never-before-seen 70mm footage and synchronised audio produce one of the finest documentaries of the year. It marries spectacular imagery with mission audio to deliver a detailed, deadpan account of a remarkable human achievement. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/apollo-11-review-the-moon-mission-as-it-happened-lj73w9ldb) - **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (95/100, inferred): The critic calls it the most perfect movie about its subject, lauding the pure documentary approach using only archival footage. It highlights the emotional power of showing the collective human effort behind the mission. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/apollo-11) - **Empire**, Ian Freer (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Miller’s enthralling documentary, assembled from pristine 65mm footage and audio, as immersive and gripping. They single out its thoughtful approach that lets the images convey the emotional experience of the mission and celebrates values of science and ingenuity. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/apollo-11-review/) - **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (90/100, inferred): The review highlights the compilation of never-before-seen NASA footage into a staggeringly clear look at the moon mission, calling it an astonishing documentary and one giant leap for film restoration. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/apollo-11-review-sundance-1202037713/) - **The AV Club**, Noel Murray (A-): The critic praises the film as astonishing and immersive, noting how it uses rare, pristine footage to convey the sheer scale of the NASA operation and lets original 1969 audio and images tell the story without new narration or interviews. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-astonishing-documentary-apollo-11-shoots-the-moon-1832916047) - **The Guardian** (90/100, inferred): The critic finds the newly discovered colour footage electrifying and notes that the Apollo rockets' design surpasses later spacecraft or sci-fi depictions. The review highlights the thrilling launch, moon landing, and return to Earth as well as fresh perspectives on the planet from space. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jun/28/apollo-11-review-moon-landing-documentary-nasa-neil-armstrong-buzz-aldrin) - **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (90/100, inferred): The review calls it a masterful work of archival research that brings July 1969 back into the present tense through stunning footage and audio, while noting it includes the American flag being planted on the moon. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/sundance-2019-apollo-11-flag-on-the-moon-first-man.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (85/100, inferred): The documentary is completely riveting, relying solely on original footage and audio to convey the mission's drama without narration or talking heads. Turan praises Miller's eye for striking, previously unseen images that restore a sense of the event's complexity and audacity. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-apollo-11-review-20190228-story.html) - **Financial Times**, Neville Hawcock (80/100, inferred): The film regains the story’s immediacy and capacity to amaze through a rigorous archive-only approach in chronological order. A stroke of luck in discovering forgotten 70mm footage and synchronising audio enhances its impact. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/6257a886-8e89-11e9-a1c1-51bf8f989972) - **Little White Lies**, Phil Concannon (3/4/4): The critic praises the use of previously unseen high-quality NASA footage presented without narration to create immediacy and tension. It singles out the scale of the Saturn V rocket and the human stories on the ground as particularly moving. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/apollo-11/) - **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): The critic describes it as a meticulously conceived documentary that delivers a definitive, you-are-there account through pristine restored footage. It praises the precise details and lack of narration that immerse viewers in the events. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/apollo-11-sundance-review/5136156.article) - **The Telegraph**, Ed Power (4/5): Miller’s film is a stripped-down tribute to human achievement that uses unseen NASA footage without gimmicks or embellishment. It focuses on the technical details of the mission while contrasting them with the lonely beauty of the Moon. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/apollo-11-review-tribute-human-achievement-beautiful-loneliness/) - **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (80/100, inferred): The film is a cool, meticulous and at times enthralling documentary that captures the entire flight through raw, spectacular 70mm footage from NASA vaults. Gleiberman highlights the unprecedented wonder and anxiety of the mission as presented without narration or talking heads. [Read](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/apollo-11-review-sundance-film-festival-1203113605/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Daniel Fienberg (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film immersive and experiential rather than informative, noting that it may not be the definitive chronicle but features a breathtaking selection of footage of the astronauts and launch. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/apollo-11-review-1178398/) - **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (20/100, inferred): The film renders the wondrous Apollo 11 mission dull and banal through conventional documentary style and editing that fails to highlight the material's specificity. Brody criticizes the lack of personal discovery or distinctive approach in handling the archival footage. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/apollo-11-reviewed-a-found-footage-documentary-with-no-sense-of-discovery) - **Consequence** (A): The critic calls Apollo 11 a great documentary that eradicates the disconnect between audience and historical moment, making the 1969 events feel essential and immediate. The review singles out the restored and assembled archival footage as the key element that renders the mission transcendent and vivid. [Read](https://consequence.net/2019/03/film-review-apollo-11/) - **Eye for Film**, Owen Van Spall (90/100, inferred): The review highlights the stunning quality of the newly discovered 70mm footage and how the film builds tension even for those familiar with the events. It singles out the visuals for their scale and ability to convey the mission's awe-inspiring aspects. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/reviews/apollo-11-2019-review) - **HeyUGuys**, Linda Marric (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the documentary as a masterpiece in storytelling using only archival footage and unreleased 70mm material. They single out its cinéma vérité style and ability to capture tension, excitement, and the enormity of the mission. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/apollo-11-review/) - **The Playlist**, Kimber Myers (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the documentary astounding and jaw-dropping for its use of archival footage and audio without narration or interviews. They single out the discovery of 65mm footage and the restored visuals that convey the mission's complexity and urgency. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/apollo-11-review-20190228/) - **The Wrap**, Steve Pond (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the documentary captivating through its use of original, vivid footage, providing immediacy and suspense in recounting the mission's events without narration or talking heads, making a familiar story engaging despite the known outcome. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/apollo-11-film-review-you-know-how-it-comes-out-but-its-still-a-hell-of-a-ride/) ## Details - **Director:** Todd Douglas Miller - **Director:** Todd Douglas Miller - **Editor:** Todd Douglas Miller - **Music:** Matt Morton - **Producer:** Todd Douglas Miller, Thomas Petersen, Evan Krauss - **Cast:** Neil Armstrong as Self (archive footage); Buzz Aldrin as Self (archive footage); Michael Collins as Self (archive footage); Walter Cronkite as Self (archive footage); Bruce McCandless II as Self (archive footage); Charles Duke as Self (archive footage); Andy Aldrin as Self; Patricia Mary Finnegan as Self - **Runtime:** 1h 33m - **Certificate (MPA):** G - **Release (the US):** 8 March 2019 - **Genres:** Documentary, History, Drama - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSS8AtjvAcY ## Where to watch in the US - Netflix: streaming - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Sundance Special Jury Prize Documentary 2019: Sundance Special Jury Prize Documentary (won) ## If you liked this - *For All Mankind* (1989): The Apollo programme cut from NASA film with the astronauts’ own voices; the earlier, dreamier version of this idea. - *The Right Stuff* (1983), Fi1m 86: The Mercury astronauts as swaggering test pilots, three hours long and never dull. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-right-stuff.md) - *Senna* (2010), Fi1m 84: Another life told entirely in archive, with no talking heads and a great deal of engine noise. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/senna.md) - *First Man* (2018): Armstrong as a drama, shot from inside the capsule, so you feel every rivet shake. - *Fire of Love* (2022), Fi1m 76: Two volcanologists’ own 16mm footage, cut into something stranger and sadder than a nature film. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/fire-of-love.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/apollo-11