Tense Survival Thriller Pushes Suspense Into Extreme New Heights

By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 hour ago

I can finally end my search for an action adventure thriller set entirely in a hot air balloon after watching 2019’s The Aeronauts. While we can get into the nitty gritty about how it’s “based on true events,” as depicted in the 2013 Richard Holmes book Falling Upwards: How We Took to the Air, anybody with access to Wikipedia can do that. Instead, let’s talk about the film itself. Since we’re ultimately dealing with a fictional piece of cinema inspired by multiple real-life balloon ascents, it’s all but expected that creative liberties are taken, and composite characters are stitched together from their historical counterparts for the sake of a cleaner, more dramatic story.

The Aeronauts, like most films that carry the biographical label, is no exception. As long as you’re not treating it like a history lesson, it’s well worth your time for the visuals and sheer level of suspense alone. I never thought a movie about a giant balloon could be this intense, but here we are, watching two deeply committed people float through the troposphere without even packing proper winter coats.

Floating High And Above

Set in 1862 London, The Aeronauts centers on scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) and balloon pilot Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones). James believes that ascending to unprecedented heights will allow him to study atmospheric patterns in a way that could eventually make weather prediction possible. When the Royal Society refuses to take him seriously enough to fund the project, he turns to Amelia, whose skill and nerve make the entire expedition feasible. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn about the political resistance and personal motivations surrounding the journey, but that groundwork is not the main reason you’re here.

The real spectacle unfolds once James and Amelia leave the ground, rising beyond 30,000 feet and shattering the standing record for balloon travel. Completely devoted to his research, James pushes forward as Amelia repeatedly urges him to descend. Awestruck by the vast skyscape around them, James loses track of the balloon’s physical limitations and just how drastically the temperature has dropped while he continues taking notes and running tests.

When it becomes clear they’ve gone far too high for their own good, Amelia takes decisive action after recognizing the signs of James’ worsening hypoxia. That plan immediately falls apart when she realizes the gas release valve at the top of the balloon has frozen shut. Reduced to a speck drifting through the sky, Amelia braves brutal conditions in her attempts to bring both of them back to land. The elements are not on her side, and she soon begins suffering from frostbite as well. With their lives and James’ research hanging in the balance, every split-second decision carries real consequences, and the margin for error disappears fast.

Stunning Cinematography All Around 

While the flashback sequences in The Aeronauts are necessary for context, they lean into familiar tropes tied to dangerous missions. Both characters are haunted by their pasts and repeatedly revisit traumatic moments while grappling with their present situation. If I’m being completely honest, I have a hard time taking people in top hats seriously, so these scenes occasionally play as unintentionally funny for me. I fully recognize that I might be a sample size of one here, and your mileage may vary.

What truly impressed me were the sequences that take place inside and around the balloon itself. The horizon, the clouds, and even butterflies drifting through air currents at what were once unheard-of altitudes are the real draw of The Aeronauts. Ice crystallizing across the balloon as Amelia struggles with the frozen gas valve, along with wide shots that emphasize how small she and James are against the open sky, are genuinely striking. The storms that threaten to consume them as they push higher in the name of science add another layer of tension, made all the more effective by how grounded and tactile everything looks.

It’s safe to assume The Aeronauts received a healthy dose of VFX in post-production, but it’s difficult to spot while watching. The visuals feel real and cohesive, creative liberties with characterization aside, and the result is an immersive experience even from your couch. If you’re looking to challenge your fear of heights, or you’re simply in the mood for historical fiction that focuses on discovery rather than warfare, you can stream The Aeronauts on Prime Video as of this writing.