This Tom Harper directed thrill ride stars Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne as the dynamic airborne duo of Balloon Pilot, Amelia Wren and Meteorologist James Glaisher, also known as The Aeronauts. In 1862, James and Amelia head to the skies in a tailor-made balloon in hopes to shatter records and make history by exploring the unknown. As each character’s background is told via flashbacks, we find out exactly what kind of hardships Amelia and James faced individually, making their adventure all the more groundbreaking. As the air gets thinner, the tension becomes increasingly palpable. Reaching heights never before seen, The Aeronauts must fight for their lives. 

With CGI and practical effects realistic enough to have you grasping at any source of level ground, The Aeronauts’ visual effects will take your breath away. Having the film open with their brave departure was nothing short of genius. Doing this ultimately leads to the illusion that we, the audience, are seeing more of the action. When in fact, the balloon sequences are beautifully spread throughout the film, allowing us to touch base with our favorite explorers in the sky, while we learn more about their individual stories in the meantime. As a result of this directing technique, the film seems to perfectly avoid some of the uglier nuances that plague period pieces: Too many characters, and pace comparable to that of a turtle. 

In a world of film that is overrun by CGI heavy, lack of a solid plot tentpole films, Tom Harper’s The Aeronauts is a breath of fresh air, immersing us into a visually stunning world above the clouds, with a plotline that doesn’t feel the need to inflate itself with incredibly complex arcs and an ensemble cast. The only downside to this film’s release is that the majority of people won’t experience it in the theater (with that being said, if The Aeronauts is playing in any theaters near you, especially IMAX, take the chance and go see it). The Aeronauts is looking at a limited December 6th release, and an Amazon Prime release on December 20th.

WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW

OVERALL: 43.5/50 (87%)

CINEMATOGRAPHY: 10/10

ACTING: 7.5/10

DIRECTION: 9/10

VFX: 10/10

EDITING: 8/10

CAST

FELICITY JONES - AMELIA WREN

EDDIE REDMAYNE - JAMES GLAISHIER

HIMESH PATEL - JOHN TREW