5 breathtaking scenes from First Man that you need to experience again in IMAX

Have you watched First Man yet? The critically acclaimed moon landing drama brings us the story of astronaut Neil Armstrong, directed by La La Land's Damien Chazelle and starring Ryan Gosling in the lead role.

It's an immersive and moving drama that catapults us into the unknown – and it therefore demands to be experienced in IMAX. If your first viewing of the movie was in standard 2D, here are five scenes from the movie that need the IMAX treatment.

WARNING: FIRST MAN SPOILERS AHEAD

1. The X-15 test

The movie opens with Armstrong's seat-gripping demonstration of the X-15 rocket plane, before he bounces off Earth's atmosphere and lands back in the Mojave Desert. It's less an opening scene than a statement of intent, immersing us in the shuddering, deafening danger of early space race technology.

2. The Gemini 8 demonstration

One of the film's most terrifying and overwhelming scenes comes when Armstrong's attempt to dock the Gemini 8 spacecraft with the Agena spacecraft goes disastrously wrong. As Armstrong's module spins wildly out of control, Chazelle marshals all manner of discordant sound effects and whirling camera moves that are sure to induce sweaty palms when witnessed in IMAX.

3. Lunar landing failure

Several years after the Gemini 8 mission, we see the obsessive Armstrong back on Earth attempting to land a test of the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle, the camera lurching and diving as he crash-lands into the desert. IMAX doesn't just pull you into the drama – it makes you feel the danger.

4. Landing on the moon

Of course, IMAX not only enhances the film's terrific sound design but also its score. La La Land double-Oscar-winner Justin Hurwitz is an invaluable contributor to First Man, and the pivotal landing sequence shows off his captivating, waltz-like score to a magnificent extent. As the surface approaches, the tone and urgency of the music intensifies, further amplified by the searing IMAX visuals.

5. Walking on the moon's surface

After the nail-biting tension of the landing, Chazelle restores a sense of placid, eerie calm when Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll) finally arrive at their lunar destination. This is where the all-encompassing dimensions of IMAX pull you into a completely alien environment, bringing to life an iconic moment in film history previously only witnessed on grainy TV screens.