In April 2020, it was announced Heineman would direct a documentary film revolving around the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on health care workers with Alex Gibney set to serve as an executive producer.

[2][3] Matthew Heineman reached out to a source from his previous film Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, to explore access opportunities at different medical facilities in New York, with Long Island Jewish Medical Center allowing Heineman and his crew to film.

[4] Donning the same personal protective equipment as hospital staff, two-person teams deployed to chronicle unfolding events.

The website's consensus reads "The First Wave presents a starkly gripping snapshot of a crisis unfolding -- and its grim toll on those who put their lives on the line to fight it".

[13] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".