Spacewalker

In March 1965, cosmonaut Alexei Leonov carried out the first walk in space to keep the Russians one step ahead of the Americans in the race to put a man on the Moon. However, as this stirring drama recounts, the Voskhod 2 mission was plagued with problems from the get go. Yevgeni Mironov plays Leonov with a mischievous vitality, which is balanced by the doleful stoicism of Konstantin Khabenskiy as his mission commander, Pavel Belyayev. Their bromance bond is at the heart of this story, with "Chief Designer" Sergei Korolev (Vladimir Ilin) serving as the surrogate father in mission control who refuses to give up on his "little eagles". The ever-present fear of displeasing the Soviet Central Committee - and what might happen as a result - looms large over everybody's heads, adding further tension to the story. The dreamy diversions into Leonov's childhood can feel a bit of an indulgence, but they at least offer some much-needed gasps for air amid the escalating peril.