In cinema, history can be a delicate and fearsome beast to tangle with.

There are quite a few historical films that have entered the box office recently, such as “Hacksaw Ridge,” “Denial,” and “The Finest Hour.”

However, “Hidden Figures” has done something not every film in this genre accomplishes. It makes the audience feel like they are there, making history, rather than merely witnessing it.  

“Hidden Figures” is about the unknown women who helped put a man in space and who were the hidden forces behind the true birth of the NASA space program.

The acting in every scene helps pull viewers in. Taraji B. Hensen, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae all portrayed each of their respective character’s drive, wit, and love for the job and each other stunningly. They make the audience groan at every setback and celebrate every triumph in the movie.  

Mr. Al Harrison, played by Kevin Costner, was a character we all could safely say we could root for. His motivation can be summed up in a line that got quite a few cheers from the theater-goers and was the true message of the film: we get there together, or we don’t get there at all.

The cinematography played with many elements beautifully. Every shot put the viewer right inside the NASA building and caused you to feel like you were right there with Catherine, Mary, and Dorothy every step of the way. The score’s more modern feel would make any movie goer wary at first, but it actually worked. Every bit of music, written by Pharrell Williams and Hans Zimmerman, was perfectly toned, timed, and executed with every scene, highlighting every emotion as the movie progressed.