There’s a moment in Fight or Flight where someone gets dropkicked through a hole in the side of a passenger plane. It’s not a dream. It’s not played for realism. It’s just the kind of movie this is.
James Madigan’s feature debut doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a chaotic, bloody toybox filled with assassins, computers, and moral quandaries, all locked inside a long-haul flight from Bangkok to San Francisco. It’s basically Bullet Train at cruising altitude, just with Josh Hartnett instead of Brad Pitt and about 30 percent of the budget. And weirdly? That works.
This Plane Is Fully Booked With Killers
The plot goes like this: a hacker known only as “The Ghost” escapes a raid in Bangkok and jumps on a commercial flight to the U.S. Several governments, companies, and mercenaries all realize where she’s headed—and they all send someone to kill or capture her. Enter Lucas Reyes (Hartnett), a burnt-out former agent with a grudge, a limp, and no reason to say yes to anything anymore. But he’s promised redemption, and maybe an apology, so he boards the flight.
Naturally, the hacker turns out to be someone unexpected. The plane gets filled with knives, kicks, and blood. By the halfway point, it’s basically a battle royale at 35,000 feet. The script is flimsy, sure, but it’s a solid excuse to go absolutely bonkers with the action.
Hartnett’s the Secret Weapon
It helps that Josh Hartnett is totally in on the joke. He plays Lucas like a guy who’s too tired to be suave but too stubborn to quit. The comedic timing hits more often than it misses, and he pulls off the physical stuff like a champ. His scenes are sweaty, panicked, occasionally hilarious, and surprisingly nimble. If you’re already a fan, this will only deepen that loyalty.
What really holds it all together, though, is the commitment to the bit. This movie knows it’s ridiculous. From the characters’ over-the-top names (Lady Raven? Cayenne?) to the improvised fights using airplane carts and seatbelts, Fight or Flight refuses to play it safe. It’s silly. It’s self-aware. It’s fun.
Creative Fights, Wonky Script
Alain Moussi’s fight choreography is the real MVP here. It’s fast, brutal, and intentionally messy. No two fights look the same, which is a blessing in a genre where everything can blur into shaky-cam soup. Yes, there are some speed-ramping hiccups. And yeah, not every kill lands with the same impact. But there’s a sense of play here, like the stunt team was let off the leash and told to just go nuts.
Where the film stumbles is with its script. The twist—if you can call it that—is telegraphed pretty early. The dialogue tries hard to sound sharp but often defaults to clunky exposition. And while the character backstories are trying to add emotional weight, they’re mostly just there to slow the pace.
But here’s the thing: it kind of doesn’t matter. The tone is goofy enough that even the eye-rolling bits feel like part of the ride. If this had tried to be a serious action drama, it would have collapsed on takeoff. Instead, it leans into the chaos and lets the cabin pressure do the rest.
Should You Watch It?
If you’re looking for a perfectly constructed thriller with airtight logic and elegant character arcs, Fight or Flight will drive you up the wall. But if you’re into absurd, rough-edged action comedies with a low budget and high energy, there’s a real chance you’ll have a blast.
Put it on, pour a drink, and enjoy watching a movie where someone gets kicked through a plane wall. Sometimes, that’s all you need.
