Apollo 11 (2019)
95%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: Won 3 Primetime Emmys
59 wins & 45 nominations total
Edifying and inspiring in equal measure, Apollo 11 uses artfully repurposed archival footage to send audiences soaring back to a pivotal time in American history.
Apollo 11 is out of this world! This documentary takes you on a journey through history, showcasing the incredible feat of landing on the moon. The footage is eye-wateringly beautiful and the audio recordings make you feel like you’re right there with the astronauts. It’s amazing to think that this all happened in 1969. No need for subtexts of politics or drama, this film lets the achievement speak for itself. So, grab some popcorn, find the biggest screen possible, and prepare to be awed.
Production Company(ies)
CNN Films, Statement Pictures,
Distributor
CNN Films, Neon
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Sea of Tranquility, The Moon, Space
MPAA / Certificate
G
Year of Release
2019
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.20 : 1
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Runtime:1h 33m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 8, 2019 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 14, 2019
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, NASA, moon landing, Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Todd Douglas Miller, Thomas Petersen, Evan Krauss, CNN Films, Neon, Dolby Digital, G, $9.0M, reviewed by Kathleen Sachs, Sandra Hall, David Stratton, Donald Clarke, Mark Kermode, Kevin Maher, Victor Pineyro, Brian Eggert, Luiz Oliveira, Fletcher Powell, Richard Crouse, produced by Todd Douglas Miller, directed by Todd Douglas Miller, written by N/A, Beasts of No Nation, Little Women, Finding Vivian Maier, For Sama, Tehran Taboo, genre, MPAA rating, box office performance, budget, Bill Anders, David Reed, Courtney Sexton, Amy Entelis, Josh Braun
Worldwide gross: $15,342,353
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $17,727,391
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,756
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,933,194
US/Canada gross: $9,039,891
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $10,445,183
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,602
US/Canada opening weekend: $1,607,040
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $1,856,862
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,215
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
David Reed – Self
Todd Douglas Miller – Director
Courtney Sexton – Executive Producer
Amy Entelis – Executive Producer
Josh Braun – Executive Producer
Director(s)
Todd Douglas Miller
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Todd Douglas Miller, Thomas Petersen, Evan Krauss
Film Festivals
Sundance, South by Southwest
Awards & Nominations
Won 3 Primetime Emmys
59 wins & 45 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (188) | Top Critics (49) | Fresh (186) | Rotten (2)
As a testament to the wonders of science and space, it’s extraordinary; as a testament to the triumph of cinema and mankind, it’s more a small step than a giant leap.
December 21, 2019
Kathleen Sachs
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
It’s a film that makes history seem freshly minted — a unique work of restoration made possible by the discovery of a cache of previously unreleased audio recordings and large-format footage.
July 16, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
Apollo 11… is quite simply an amazing film.
July 12, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
David Stratton
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
Clocking in at a tidy 90 minutes, laid out in ruthlessly linear fashion, the film plays like one deep breath nervously exhaled. It’s also eye-wateringly beautiful to behold
July 3, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Donald Clarke
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
Astonishing…the documentary footage, which alternates from the spaceship and the American audience…it just brought back what an unbelievably impressive achievement it was in 1969.
July 2, 2019
Mark Kermode
Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
TOP CRITIC
Go. Rush out. Find this film now. Find it on the biggest possible screen, accompanied by the best, loudest sound. And sit back and marvel.
June 30, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
A documentary that is purely about the incredible feat it tells. Without subtexts of politics, drama or humanity, Apollo 11 brings a never before seen or heard perspective into one of the most important events in human history. Full review in Spanish
April 8, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
Victor Pineyro
Seventh Art Studio
The film, best viewed on the biggest screen available to get the full effect of the mission’s size and scope, reminds viewers of a time when humanity used to think big.
March 3, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
There are no talking heads and no voice-overs in this documentary-the images and dialogue speak for themselves.
April 14, 2021
Luiz Oliveira
Battleship Pretension
… creates real momentum, and something close to actual suspense.
February 9, 2021
Fletcher Powell
KMUW – Wichita Public Radio
Ignores the Cold War politics of beating the Russians to the moon. Instead it celebrates the achievement, leaving the viewer with a sense of awe at the precise work that created one of the most dramatic events in (out of this) world history.
January 31, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Richard Crouse
Richard Crouse
In many ways, this film fills in all the blanks from its fictional biopic predecessors, particularly the most recent “First Man.”
November 14, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Charles Koplinski
Reel Talk with Chuck and Pam…
Plot
On its fiftieth anniversary, the events surrounding the actual Apollo 11 space mission are presented solely using archival footage and still photographs of or associated with the mission. The events span from the eleventh hour preparations for the launch to shortly after the safe touchdown of the capsule with its three astronauts back on Earth. The mission is historic as the first time humans had stepped on the surface of the Earth’s moon. It arguably made household names of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as the first and second to walk on the moon, and slightly less so for the third astronaut, Michael Collins, who remained inside the capsule at the time. It was arguably the most dangerous space mission at the time in part to the astronauts leaving the safety of the capsule.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels says, “There are no talking heads and no voice-overs in this documentary-the images and dialogue speak for themselves.”
Todd-Douglas-Miller.jpg
