'Hidden Figures' Movie Review

​Hello, fellow moviegoers!
   Hidden Figures is directed by Theodore Melfi, and it stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, and Kevin Costner. It tells the story of three African-American women that were working behind-the-scenes for NASA during the Space Race of the 1960s. They become an integral part of the United States’ efforts, and this film explores this true story that not a lot of people know about.

​   Hidden Figures, to me, was an entertaining film. When watching it, I was invested in the characters, I cared about what they were doing, and I was curious to see what was going to happen next. That was during the film. After the movie, I found it didn’t really stick with me. It was the type of movie that I enjoyed watching, but then quickly moved on from when it was over.
   One thing that stood out to me was this film’s use of primary and secondary plots. Since the film revolves around three African-Americans in the 1960s, it wouldn’t be a stretch for the topic of civil rights is brought up, as it should be. What was admirable about the way Hidden Figures handled it was how they kept it to a secondary plotline. They also touch upon civil rights, but they don’t beat you over the head with it like some movies do. The primary story in this film is these three women assisting in the Space Program.
   The three leads in this film all gave wonderful performances. Octavia Spencer is getting a lot of love from critics, and she was even nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in this film. However, I believe the standout performance in this film is that given by Taraji P. Henson. She gave a fantastic performance in this film, and she was extremely convincing in her role. Out of the three leads, if you had to pick one that was the main character, it would be Henson’s character. While Spencer and Monae both give great performances, it’s Henson that should be getting a lot of praise.
   The supporting cast in this film was extremely surprising to me. Not just in the level of talent brought into this film, but by the performances given overall. The supporting cast in this film consists of big names such as Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, and Mahershala Ali. Costner and Dunst were the best of the bunch, though Parsons and Ali were both very good as well. (*side note: Mahershala Ali showed up out of nowhere this year, and he’s definitely someone to keep an eye on. He was arguably the best part in Luke Cage, and he was also in Free State of Jones and Moonlight. The latter of which might just win him an Oscar from what I’ve heard.)
   I’ve said all of these good things about this movie, and I really meant them, but the fact still stands that this movie failed to really have any impact on me whatsoever after watching it. It feels like the type of movie that you’ll look back on in a couple years, and you won’t be able to remember if you’ve seen it or not. I’m not sure what it was about this film that causes this issue, but it’s an issue that’s noticeable to me nonetheless.
   Overall, I like Hidden Figures. It had a great story to tell, the performances were very convincing, and the cast as a whole worked really well. I can’t help but feel like this film is a little forgettable. For whatever reason, this film fails to stand out to me. It’s a good movie, but it might not be the one that you need to see.

6.5/10

​   So what did you think of Hidden Figures? Is it more memorable to you? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this review, share it on Facebook and Twitter! It really helps! Don’t forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and miscellaneous movie thoughts!
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