X

2021
R
Neon
1 h 33 m

2021
R
Neon
1 h 33 m

Summary With exclusive access inside one of New York’s hardest hit hospital systems during the terrifying first four months of the pandemic, The First Wave spotlights the everyday heroes at the epicenter of COVID-19 as they come together to fight one of the greatest threats the world has ever encountered.

Directed By: Matthew Heineman

2021
R
Neon
1 h 33 m

2021
R
Neon
1 h 33 m

The First Wave

Metascore Universal Acclaim Based on 11 Critic Reviews

85

User Score Mixed or Average Based on 6 User Ratings

6.0

My Score

Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Summary With exclusive access inside one of New York’s hardest hit hospital systems during the terrifying first four months of the pandemic, The First Wave spotlights the everyday heroes at the epicenter of COVID-19 as they come together to fight one of the greatest threats the world has ever encountered.

Directed By: Matthew Heineman

Top Cast

Nathalie Douge

Self

View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

Metascore

Universal Acclaim Based on 11 Critic Reviews

100% Positive
11 Reviews

0% Mixed
0 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

Metascore

Universal Acclaim Based on 11 Critic Reviews

100% Positive
11 Reviews

0% Mixed
0 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

The Hollywood Reporter

Oct 15, 2021

Now, more than a year and a half into the novel coronavirus pandemic, Matthew Heineman’s intensely intimate documentary arrives as a graphic and emotional reminder of the early days of the crisis, in all its confusion and horror. It’s also a breathtaking testament to the fight to live, the calling to heal, and the power of human connection.

By Sheri Linden FULL REVIEW

The New York Times

Nov 18, 2021

The film succeeds in presenting an on-the-ground view of what it felt like to be inside a hospital in the spring of 2020. It was harrowing, death was everywhere and there was no end in sight.

By Teo Bugbee FULL REVIEW

Nov 16, 2021

With unprecedented access to overfilled, frenzied hospital rooms, as well as quarantined homes, Heineman makes one cringe at every prolonged beep of the vitals monitor, delves right into the patients’ eyes, their very souls. He imbues the documentary with the same sense of urgency and empathy that were evident in his previous docs Cartel Land and City of Ghosts. A tough watch but a necessary one, The First Wave marks the finest cinematic account of the COVID-19 pandemic yet.

By Alex Saveliev FULL REVIEW

Nov 22, 2021

Watching Matthew Heineman’s documentary The First Wave isn’t therefore a casualty of diminishing returns due to a false sense of redundancy. If anything, it proves more powerful from accumulation.

By Jared Mobarak FULL REVIEW

Nov 23, 2021

This remarkable film feels like it could become a time capsule, showing future generations what it felt like in 2020 for those on the frontline.

By Cath Clarke FULL REVIEW

Nov 23, 2021

The First Wave stands as an honest, hard-hitting and compassionate reminder of loving thy neighbour wherever and whoever they may be.

By Matthew Anderson FULL REVIEW

Washington Post

Nov 16, 2021

The First Wave feels simultaneously hard to watch and vital, tragic and uplifting, like a backward glimpse over our shoulder at a period of conflict and struggle — in more ways than one — that we’re not quite done living through yet.

By Michael O'Sullivan FULL REVIEW

See All 11 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

User Score

Mixed or Average Based on 6 User Ratings

67% Positive
4 Ratings

17% Mixed
1 Rating

17% Negative
1 Rating

User Reviews

User Score

Mixed or Average Based on 6 User Ratings

67% Positive
4 Ratings

17% Mixed
1 Rating

17% Negative
1 Rating

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

Production Company National Geographic Documentary Films, Participant, Our Time Projects

Release Date Nov 19, 2021

Duration 1 h 33 m

Rating R

Genres

Website https://www.ourtimeprojects.com/thefirstwave

View All Details

Awards

News & Documentary Emmy Awards

• 5 Wins & 11 Nominations

International Documentary Association

• 2 Wins & 4 Nominations

Philadelphia Film Festival

• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations

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