The Aeronauts

"Soar beyond your limits."

2019 1h 40m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 1,230

AdventureDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“Soar beyond your limits.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon Prime VideoSubscription

Amazon Prime Video with AdsSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Eddie Redmayne
James Glaisher
Felicity Jones
Amelia Wren
Tom Courtenay
Arthur Glaisher
Phoebe Fox
Antonia
Himesh Patel
John Trew
Rebecca Front
Aunt Frances
Robert Glenister
Ned Chambers
Vincent Perez
Pierre Rennes

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tom Harper
Writers: Jack Thorne, Tom Harper, Jack Thorne
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 9% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 7 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tom Harper, shot by George Steel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Steven Price. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mark Eckersley shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones and Tom Courtenay carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Soar beyond your limits.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tom Harper directs. George Steel behind the camera. Steven Price scores. Mark Eckersley cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 9% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 7 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by Tom Harper, shot by George Steel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Steven Price. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Mark Eckersley shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones and Tom Courtenay carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Soar beyond your limits.".
9IMDB entry: tt6141246 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: George Steel
Original score: Steven Price
Editing: Mark Eckersley
Production design: Christian Huband
Costume design: Alexandra Byrne
Makeup / hair: Sarah Kelly
VFX supervisor: Louis Morin
Sound: Stuart Hilliker
Stunt coordinator: Adam Kirley
Runtime: 100 min · 1h 40m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $40,000,000
Box office: $3,485,251
Return: 9% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Aeronauts (2019)

Also by

Tom Harper

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

SWITCH.2020-01-10
★ 8/10
There's little groundbreaking about 'The Aeronauts', but that isn't to diminish what an excellent and genuinely thrilling experience it is. At its best, it's 'Gravity' in a hot air balloon, a nail-biting and awe-inspiring adventure of human beings pitted against the ferocity of the elements. Tom Harper has done a sterling job elevating Jack Thorne's screenplay and imbuing it with tremendous tension. Even with its faults, 'The Aeronauts' knows exactly what kind of film it needs to be and does so with great aplomb. If you can see it on the big screen, don't miss the chance. Those set pieces deserve to be seen on as big a screen as possible. - Daniel Lammin Read Daniel's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-the-aeronauts-a-thrilling-adventure-on-the-edge-of-the-sky
The Movie Diorama2020-01-16
★ 7/10
The Aeronauts ascends through the weathering clouds to deliver a beautifully panoramic adventure. The sky is our limit. Our ambitious endeavours, boundless by the mysterious stars that plague the night. Eloquent diamonds dancing on a twinkled canvas. The infallible lust for discovery, eternally motivated to make the world and ourselves more habitable. Safer. Predictable. Harper’s loose adaptation of Holmes’ novel, for better or worse, takes the capabilities of artistic licence and alters history for the sake of entertainment. Whilst unnecessary in depicting the scientific discoveries and world-shattering record at the time, Harper’s daring adventurous thrill-ride passes through the stratosphere with vivid colours. Meteorologist Glaisher and balloon pilot Rennes attempt to break the world-record height of 23,000ft, but soon encounter a battle for survival when their minds become deluded from the insufficient oxygen. As I was saying, artistic licence is a powerful element to filmmaking. In the wrong hands, an irresponsible change in history could be produced, tarnishing the events that actually occurred. Conversely, it could be used to elevate a vital moral that, whilst enhances entertainment, retains the delicacy of history without diminishing its achievements. Harper and Thorne teeter on the two halves, precariously floating through thunderous clouds of inaccuracy. The removal of Glaisher’s scientific partner Coxwell, replaced by the fictional Rennes, was haphazard. With no acknowledgement of his existence, The Aeronauts clearly rains down upon the realms of light entertainment, and that’s absolutely fine. But to utilise Glaisher’s real persona instead of fictionalising his character whilst retaining his discoveries, felt deflating for Coxwell. Having said that, the addition of Rennes and surprisingly making her story at the forefront of the narrative, inspired a bountiful amount of female empowerment during the repressed Victorian era. Her lack of knowledge in Glaisher’s area of expertise resulted in an accessible screenplay that allowed audiences to instantly connect with her. As the human component to the aeronautical adventure, Rennes seamlessly moves forward in being the main protagonist. A refreshing change that juxtaposes Redmayne and Jones’ previous partnership in ‘The Theory of Everything’. It allowed Jones, who absolutely captivated with her buoyant performance, to showcase a physically demanding and emotionally vulnerable journey. The tragic personal loss that plagues Rennes’ stability, testing her ornate instinct in survivability. Riding in thunderous clouds, battling oxygen deficiency and climbing a freezing balloon whilst combating frostbite at 36,000ft. Just a shame that Redmayne rarely changes up his usual bumbling performance that we’ve seen time and time again. Harper’s intent focus on teamwork and partnership, allows the film’s moral to come shining through. Some reach for the stars, others push others towards them. The flashback structure prevents a completely linear experience for occurring, and adds appropriate drips of backstory without diminishing the excitement of their gradual ascent. The abrupt cuts do produce an irregular pace, especially when the two barely survive a raincloud only for the editing to splice a societal debate back in London, but the outstanding visuals and Price’s intense score (as to be expected...) instantly regulate the taste for adventure again. Simply the best panoramic visuals of the year. The endless blanket of cumulus clouds envelope you in an overwhelming horizon, conveying the solidarity of these two daredevils. Then, when they reach the summit of their ascent, well, I was on the edge of my seat. Superbly thrilling! The Aeronauts, despite the historical inaccuracy and fictionalised strands for the sake of entertainment, floats through the atmosphere in a gloriously thrilling adventure that remains both grounded in narration and afloat in excitement. No hot air balloon rides for me...
tmdb280390232022-09-07
★ 1/10
The Aeronauts is a100-minute long illustration of the rule in Ebert's Little Movie Glossary that teaches us, "no good movie has ever featured a hot-air balloon," though it takes it less than 10 minutes to show why — right about the point where a poor, defenseless dog is parachuted from a hot-air balloon; the animal makes a safe landing, which of course raises the question, how does a dog, lacking both the brainpower and opposable thumbs, successfully operates a parachute? This film actually illustrates something else, and it’s that 'sex sells' has been replaced by 'gender sells.' The most significant balloon flight depicted here is based on the September 5, 1862 flight of British balloonists James Glaisher and Henry Coxwell. However, while Glaisher appears in the film (played by Eddie Redmayne, who looks like he landed on his face after his own parachute failed to open), Coxwell has been replaced by Amelia (Felicity Jones), a purely fictional character. The lesson seems to be that it's not enough to discredit a real person simply because they belong to the male persuasion, but on top of that they have to 'empower' a unnecessary character that the filmmakers have dreamed up because they can't be bothered to research the subject their film is supposed to be about — if they had, they would know that the history of aeronautics is not short on women; for example, Katharina Paulus, who invented the first collapsible parachute (and didn’t endangered a dog’s life in the process, I’m sure).