--- title: "Apollo 11: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/apollo-11/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/apollo-11" critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 21 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): what the critics said Critics' score 84 from 21 reviews: 20 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. ## Radio Times — Jamie Healy Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-kirxkz/apollo-11/) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★★★★. 28 June 2019. 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 the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/apollo-11-review-the-moon-mission-as-it-happened-lj73w9ldb) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 27 January 2019. 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/apollo-11) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2019. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/apollo-11-review/) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/apollo-11-review-sundance-1202037713/) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Rating A-. 27 February 2019. 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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-astonishing-documentary-apollo-11-shoots-the-moon-1832916047) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 28 June 2019. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jun/28/apollo-11-review-moon-landing-documentary-nasa-neil-armstrong-buzz-aldrin) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/sundance-2019-apollo-11-flag-on-the-moon-first-man.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 February 2019. 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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-apollo-11-review-20190228-story.html) ## Financial Times — Neville Hawcock Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 17 June 2019. 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 the review](https://www.ft.com/content/6257a886-8e89-11e9-a1c1-51bf8f989972) ## Little White Lies — Phil Concannon Rating 3/4/4. 26 June 2019. 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 the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/apollo-11/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/apollo-11-sundance-review/5136156.article) ## The Telegraph — Ed Power Rating 4/5. 27 June 2019. 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 the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/apollo-11-review-tribute-human-achievement-beautiful-loneliness/) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/apollo-11-review-sundance-film-festival-1203113605/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 January 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/apollo-11-review-1178398/) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 15 March 2019. 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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/apollo-11-reviewed-a-found-footage-documentary-with-no-sense-of-discovery) ## Consequence Rating A. 3 March 2019. 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 the review](https://consequence.net/2019/03/film-review-apollo-11/) ## Eye for Film — Owen Van Spall Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/reviews/apollo-11-2019-review) ## HeyUGuys — Linda Marric Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/apollo-11-review/) ## The Playlist — Kimber Myers Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 28 February 2019. 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 the review](https://theplaylist.net/apollo-11-review-20190228/) ## The Wrap — Steve Pond Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 February 2019. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.thewrap.com/apollo-11-film-review-you-know-how-it-comes-out-but-its-still-a-hell-of-a-ride/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/apollo-11.md