Damien Chazelle’s Neil Armstrong biopic, starring Ryan Gosling as the astronaut, First Man, has always flown under the radar in both the director’s and the actor’s filmographies. Its inexplicably underwhelming box office and lukewarm critical reception, despite an Oscar win, keep it underrated even today. However, fans can now check it out for free on Amazon Prime Video.

The hype surrounding Ryan Gosling’s new sci-fi movie might put First Man in high demand, which explains why, as Collider reports, First Man is now streaming for free with ads on Prime Video. Despite its disappointing box office, Gosling’s First Man had been streaming on Netflix last year, but viewers can now watch it for free.

The record-breaking trailer for Ryan Gosling’s Project Hail Mary has generated enough buzz to suggest the actor might finally find commercial success with a sci-fi movie after controversy over the lack of a flag-planting scene in First Man jeopardized its box office. However, while fans await the release of Project Hail Mary, they can now watch First Man for free.

What Free Streaming Means For First Man

The Movie Might Not Draw Viewership Behind A Paywall

Despite an astronaut praising Ryan Gosling’s First Man for its accuracy, the movie was at the center of a storm of controversy because it doesn’t depict Neil Armstrong planting the American flag on the moon. While the flag is seen on the moon, the fact that we don’t see Armstrong do it didn’t sit well with many viewers and critics.

It is possible that the film’s reputation, sullied by the complaints and the controversy, precedes it, and just making it available on streaming wouldn’t be lucrative enough for Amazon. If viewers are enticed to watch First Man after seeing the trailer for Project Hail Mary and can do so for free, then they might be more inclined to see it.

While it is unfortunate that the movie’s reputation makes it a bad marketing decision to ask viewers to pay to see it, this situation might work in favor of First Man. There’s always a chance that those who watch it now will find it to be better than reviews suggest, and the film might find the audience it never did.

Our Take On First Man Streaming For Free

The Film Deserves Its Due

Not only does Ryan Gosling brilliantly portray the first man to set foot on the moon, but First Man is also Damien Chazelle’s first tryst with sci-fi, and he proves up to the task. While there are some changes to the true story of Neil Armstrong’s moon landing, First Man is better than the average biopic, as it takes risks.

However, with a measly 68% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film remains underrated, and free streaming might help it receive the kind of exposure it deserves. Space race movies are always major phenomena at the box office, but First Man was edged out by stiff compeтιтion from other major blockbusters in 2018.

Now that First Man can be seen for free, it will likely be watched more than ever before. Even though the hype being generated is for Project Hail Mary, it could positively affect the collective memory and impression that viewers have of one of the most underrated movies in Ryan Gosling’s filmography.