10 Best Movies Like Flight Risk

There are several action thrillers similar to Mel Gibson’s Flight Risk that take place thousands of feet in the air. With Flight Risk, Gibson ends a nine-year directing hiatus after his Academy Award-winning film Hacksaw Ridge, which earned an 84% Rotten Tomatoes score compared to Flight Risk’s Rotten Tomatoes score of 26%. Mark Wahlberg appears in a rare villain role as the unhinged pilot Daryl Booth. Hired by a New York mob boss, Booth tries to kill a witness informant en route to testify in a federal court.

Thrillers that take place on airplanes have a natural element of tension and have become a notable subgenre of the action-thriller genre. Even though Flight Risk’s reviews aren’t necessarily great, audiences still gravitate toward the excitement and thrills of the enclosed airplane setting. Characters such as U.S. Air Marshals become heroes in a handful of these films, while the antagonists can range from being incredibly calculated, even philosophical, supervillains to one-note aimless maniacs.

10

Con Air

1997

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Con Air

Release Date

June 5, 1997

Runtime

115 minutes

Director

Simon West

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It’s next to impossible to talk about any movies involving airplanes without bringing up the Nicolas Cage classic Con Air. Rooted in the cultural sensibilities of the late 1990s, Con Air is one of those movies that is hard to shut off after coming across it flipping through the channels. Cage stars as Cameron Poe, a former U.S. Ranger and an ex-con who tries to contain a revolt on a prisoner transport plane. Con Air is not one of Nic Cage’s most critically acclaimed movies, but it is among his most rewatchable.

Cage shares the screen with John Cusack, Dave Chappelle, Ving Rhames, and John Malkovich, known as Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom in the film. Con Air shares a lot of fundamental elements with Flight Risk as an action crime thriller with elements of dark comedy. Similar to Flight Risk, Con Air can also be considered over-the-top and ridiculous, which is part of its vintage fun. Con Air is currently available to stream on Hulu.

9

Flightplan

2005

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Flightplan

Release Date

September 22, 2005

Runtime

98 minutes

Director

Robert Schwentke

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Another instant classic plane thriller is 2005’s Flightplan, which is arguably one of Jodie Foster’s best career performances next to Panic Room and The Silence of the Lambs. Flightplan is a gripping psychological thriller that makes Foster’s protagonist, Kyle Pratt, question reality as she knows it. 30,000 feet in the air, Kyle travels with her daughter on an international flight from Berlin, Germany, to the United States. The only problem is, Kyle’s daughter is missing and no one even remembers she was on the plane.

Mark Wahlberg's assassin smirking alongside Topher Grace's Winston in Flight Risk

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Flightplan’s psychological elements elevated the natural thrill of traditional airplane action thrillers by adding mystery and whodunit suspense. Peter Sarsgaard, Sean Bean, Juith Scott, and Matt Bomer star alongside Foster’s leading role. Like Flight Risk, some viewers may feel that Flightplan falls apart in its latter half after establishing a stellar hook. For fans of Foster specifically, Flightplan is a must-watch. Flightplan is currently available to rent on Apple and Amazon.

8

Snakes on a Plane

2006

Snakes on a Plane Movie Poster

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Snakes on a Plane

Release Date

August 18, 2006

Runtime

105 Minutes

Director

David R. Ellis

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One year after Flight Plan, which earned $224 million at the box office, Samuel L. Jackson starred in an airplane thriller of his own, Snakes on a Plane. Apart from the fact that Jackson delivers one of the most iconic career one-liners in the film, Snakes on a Plane is exactly the kind of out-of-control, hilarious fun that exists at the heart of Flight Risk. Jackson commands the screen in Snakes on a Plane supported by a greater cast including Julianna Margulies, Nathan Phillips, David Koechner, and more.

Blending the late 1990s and early 2000s popularity of the snake movie franchise Anaconda with the box office success of Flight Plan, Snakes on a Plane delivers a horror-action hybrid that is designed to pump adrenaline. The premise of Snakes on a Plane is very similar to Flight Risk as well since the snakes are released on the plane deliberately to kill a witness flying to Los Angeles to testify against a mob boss. The film is currently available to rent on Apple and Amazon.

7

Non-Stop

2014

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Non-Stop

Release Date

February 26, 2014

Runtime

106 Minutes

Director

Jaume Collet-Serra

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Liam Neeson took a stab at the airplane action thriller in Non-Stop alongside Julianne Moore. Often considered one of Liam Neeson’s best action movies, Non-Stop features Neeson as Bill Marks, a U.S. Air Marshall who must respond to a mysterious threat while on a transatlantic flight. Marks receives text messages from an unknown sender who demands $150 million. For every 20 minutes that the ransom is not paid, one person on the airplane will die.

Neeson and Moore are joined by a strong ensemble cast including Flight Risk’s own Michelle Dockery, Corey Stoll, Lupita Nyong’o, Nate Parker, and Shea Whigham. Like Flight Plan, Non-Stop is a physiological thriller that will keep viewers guessing. Like most of the entries in this subgenre, the plot is considered somewhat silly but still highly entertaining. As far as relatively modern airplane thrillers go, Non-Stop is tough to beat. Non-Stop is currently available to rent on Apple and Amazon.

6

Air Force One

1997

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Air Force One

Release Date

July 25, 1997

Runtime

124 minutes

Director

Wolfgang Petersen

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1997 was quite a year for airplane thrillers, considering Con Air and Air Force One were released within weeks of each other. Air Force One proved to be the more successful of the two films, earning roughly $315 million at the 1997 summer box office compared to Con Air’s $224 million. Air Force One also received more critical praise than Con Air and was nominated for two Oscars in the Sound and Editing categories. Compared to Flight Risk, both these classics arguably blow the 2025 thriller out of the water.

Harrison Ford’s President James Marshall hero pitted against Gary Oldman’s Russian villain Ivan Korshunov are what airplane action-thrillers are made of. With supporting roles from Glenn Close, Dean Stockwell, and William H. Macy, Air Force One became one of the quintessential movies of the subgenre. There’s non-stop action, great suspense, sharp and iconic dialogue, dark humor, and most importantly, a great and naturally compelling concept. Air Force One is currently available to rent on Apple and Amazon.

5

Red Eye

2005

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Red Eye

Release Date

August 19, 2005

Runtime

85 Minutes

Director

Wes Craven

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Another sharply crafted psychological airplane thriller from 2005 is Red Eye, which critics would argue is better than Jodie Foster’s classic Flightplan. Red Eye features outstanding performances by Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, Oscar nominee Rachel McAdams, and Emmy winner Brian Cox. Directed by horror auteur Wes Craven, Red Eye may just be the best psychological airplane thriller ever made.

Murphy plays the seemingly charming Jackson Rippner, who befriends McAdams’ Lisa Reisert before revealing himself to be a terrorist. Jackson holds Lisa hostage intending to use her to help him assassinate the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. Despite its critical acclaim, Red Eye feels underrated because it’s one of Craven’s few non-horror films, which is all the more reason to watch it, especially for viewers who were disappointed by Flight Risk. Red Eye is currently available to stream on Paramount+.

4

7500

2019

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7500

Release Date

December 26, 2019

Runtime

94 Minutes

Director

Patrick Vollrath

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7500 is an overlooked but solid airplane thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tobis Ellis, a quiet co-pilot who takes matters into his own hands during a terrorist hijacking. Gordon-Levitt essentially delivers a one-man show in 7500, which many viewers have claimed to be one of the more “realistic” airplane thrillers out there. 7500 offers a nice contrast to the common ridiculous and technically inaccurate nature of many airplane thrillers before it with its attentive aviation accuracy.

7500’s accuracy doesn’t take away from its entertainment value, delivering gripping scenes and palpable tension. It’s not nearly as action-packed as some of the earlier entries in the subgenre and moves at a slower pace as a result. “7500” refers to the emergency code for a plane hijacking. The film is told through Tobias’s perspective in the cockpit as fights break out among the passengers and the terrorists come knocking at the door. 7500 is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

3

Sully

2016

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Sully

Release Date

September 9, 2016

Runtime

96 Minutes

Director

Clint Eastwood

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6/10

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On the other side of the airplane movie spectrum is Sully, which is arguably the greatest non-terrorist-related true story adaptation of an aviation incident ever put to film. Tom Hanks gives yet another outstanding performance as real-life aviation hero Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, a commercial airliner pilot who miraculously lands his damaged plane on the Hudson River to save the lives of his passengers and flight crew.

Sully’s true story depicts US Airways Flight 1549, which landed in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009. Sully is thrilling in a very different sense than Flightplan or Red Eye given that it actually happened and real lives were at stake. Directed by Clint Eastwood, Sully is a fascinating character study of the man who seemingly did the impossible. It acts as an emblem of Sullenberger’s quick thinking and demonstrated expertise that turned a potential tragedy into a remarkable moment. Sully is currently available to stream on HBO and MAX.

2

Flight

2012

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Flight

Release Date

November 2, 2012

Runtime

138 minutes

Director

Robert Zemeckis

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Flight is often considered one of Denzel Washington’s best performances, earning him one of his nine acting Oscar nominations. Flight is only loosely based on a real-life pilot battling addiction and is not nearly as biographical as the aforementioned Sully. It does, however, showcase a miraculous airborne event as Washington’s Whip Whitaker saves his passenger plane from crashing with a daring yet successful maneuver involving total inversion of the plane.

Flight is unlike Flight Risk in many ways, which may be a good thing for viewers who were frustrated by Flight Risk’s overly simplified story and silly character developments. Washington’s performance is balanced and compelling, making it easy to connect with his character and see both sides of the main conflict. Exceptional supporting performances by Don Cheadle, John Goodman, and Nadine Velazquez also elevate the Robert Zemeckis film. Flight is currently streaming on Paramount+ and MGM+.

1

Fear

01131278_poster_w780.jpg

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Fear

Release Date

April 12, 1996

Runtime

97 minutes

Director

James Foley

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1996’s Fear is not an airplane thriller but is the only other true antagonist that Mark Wahlberg has ever played in his 30-year acting career. Those who may feel that Flight Risk wasted Wahlberg’s rare villain character can see the acclaimed actor in the 1996 psychological thriller, which takes place entirely on the ground. After Wahlberg made his feature film debut in 1994’s Renaissance Man and was a supporting character in 1995’s The Basketball Diaries, he landed his first lead role as David McCall in Fear.

While not revolutionary by any means, Fear is considered to be a solid thriller with great suspense and a supporting cast that includes Reese Witherspoon and Alyssa Milano. Since there aren’t many Walhberg movies in which he plays a villain to choose from, it offers one of the rare glimpses of the otherwise likable hero as a full-fledged bad guy. Wahlberg gave his best effort in playing the villain in Flight Risk, even shaving his head during every day of filming. That being said, there are several other, and arguably better, movies in the same category as Flight Risk.

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Flight Risk (2025) Official Poster

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Flight Risk

R

Thriller

Drama

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2/10

8.9/10

Release Date

January 24, 2025

Runtime

91 Minutes

Director

Mel Gibson

Writers

Jared Rosenberg

Cast

  • A photo of actor Mark Wahlberg at a screening of Arthur The King

    Mark Wahlberg

    Daryl Booth

  • Headshot Of Michelle Dockery

    Michelle Dockery

    Harris

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