Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
In 1862, daredevil balloon pilot Amelia Wren teams up with pioneering meteorologist James Glaisher to advance human knowledge of the weather and fly higher than anyone in history. While breaking records and advancing scientific discovery, their voyage to the very edge of existence helps the unlikely pair find their place in the world they have left far below them. But they face physical and emotional challenges in the thin air, as the ascent becomes a fight for survival.
The Aeronauts delivers spectacular aerial cinematography that genuinely distinguishes it — the balloon sequences are visually breathtaking and technically impressive. The acting from Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne is committed and carries emotional weight. However, the plot is fairly thin and relies heavily on flashback structure to pad a straightforward survival premise, feeling contrived at times. The film is a reasonably distinctive period adventure but not truly singular in concept. The ending is serviceable but predictable given the survival-genre framing.