| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Taraji P. Henson | ... | Katherine G. Johnson | |
| Octavia Spencer | ... | Dorothy Vaughan | |
| Janelle Monáe | ... | Mary Jackson | |
| Kevin Costner | ... | Al Harrison | |
| Kirsten Dunst | ... | Vivian Mitchell | |
| Jim Parsons | ... | Paul Stafford | |
| Mahershala Ali | ... | Colonel Jim Johnson | |
| Aldis Hodge | ... | Levi Jackson | |
| Glen Powell | ... | John Glenn | |
| Kimberly Quinn | ... | Ruth | |
| Olek Krupa | ... | Karl Zielinski | |
| Kurt Krause | ... | Sam Turner | |
| Ken Strunk | ... | Jim Webb | |
| Lidya Jewett | ... | Young Katherine Coleman | |
| Donna Biscoe | ... | Mrs. Joylette Coleman | |
As the United States raced against Russia to put a man in space, NASA found untapped talent in a group of African-American female mathematicians that served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in U.S. history. Based on the unbelievably true life stories of three of these women, known as "human computers", we follow these women as they quickly rose the ranks of NASA alongside many of history's greatest minds specifically tasked with calculating the momentous launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, and guaranteeing his safe return. Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Gobels Johnson crossed all gender, race, and professional lines while their brilliance and desire to dream big, beyond anything ever accomplished before by the human race, firmly cemented them in U.S. history as true American heroes. Written by 20th Century Fox
Hidden Figures is a real gem of a film.
First and foremost this is down to some incredible performances. Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae were an absolute joy to watch. From the very first scene with all three of them on screen together, you just knew the film was going to be something special. All three of them were fantastic and I couldn't take my eyes off of them. The supporting cast were also great, but it really was all about these three talented actresses smashing it.
The story is something very special too. It was one I knew nothing about, but am so glad I now know more about it thanks to this film. Hidden Figures tracks the careers of three women working at NASA at the height of the space race. The film is so inspiring as we witness their perseverance, their incredible spirit and talent, and their pioneering impact on humanity's exploration of space. This alone would have been impressive, but these women were able to achieve what they did in the face of gut wrenching sexism and racism. Hidden Figures does such a good job of shining a light on the racism and despicable attitudes that these women had to face, and as a result is a pretty tough watch at times.
What also makes this film very special is the expertly crafted script. If, like me, you have no idea about science and maths, don't let that put you off. The script does a great way of simplifying things, so that you can appreciate the gravity and importance of what these women were doing, without getting bogged down in heavy exposition.
I really could not recommend this film enough. Everything about it fits together so perfectly, from the direction to the acting to the score, its just such a good well rounded film.
Watch Hidden Figures ASAP! You will not be disappointed.