Movie Review – Fight or Flight
Principal Cast : Josh Harnett, Katee Sackhoff, Charithra Chandran, Julian Kostov, Marko Zaror, JuJu Chan Szeto, Sanjeev Kohli, Nora Trokan, Sarah Lam, Hughie O’Donnell, Annabelle Daisy Grundberg, Danny Ashok, Melissa Bale, Willem van der Veght, Iren Bordan.
Synopsis: A mercenary takes on the job of tracking down a target on a plane but must protect her when they’re surrounded by people trying to kill both of them.
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The trailer might have made Fight or Flight seem like a riff on Bullet Train, but in truth, it shares more DNA with Gareth Evans’ The Raid. Featuring a bonkers plot, a terrifically unhinged, hangover-fuelled performance from Josh Hartnett, and strong supporting turns from Katee Sackhoff, Charithra Chandran, and a rogue’s gallery of freaks and heavies, Fight or Flight is as exhilarating as it is utterly ridiculous—a gory, high-octane action epic set at 40,000 feet that makes Executive Decision feel like a leisurely stroll in the park.
Josh Hartnett stars as Lucas Reyes, an exiled American agent living in Thailand. Reyes is recruited by his former superior, Katherine Brunt (Katee Sackhoff), for a mission to apprehend the elusive cyber-terrorist known as “The Ghost” (Charithra Chandran) aboard a flight from Bangkok to San Francisco. However, the plane is packed with assassins intent on eliminating both Reyes and The Ghost, leading to intense confrontations at 37,000 feet.
Hollywood has had a long and successful history with airborne action thrillers. From Air Force One and Con Air to Flightplan, Red Eye, Non-Stop, and more recently, Gerard Butler’s Plane, high-altitude hijinks have been a staple of the big screen for decades. Fight or Flight skews heavily towards the absurd, channelling the chaotic energy of David Leitch and Gareth Evans while embracing a madcap blend of eccentric characters, a gleefully preposterous plot, and relentless, blood-soaked spectacle.
Josh Hartnett’s Lucas Reyes is the quintessential reluctant hero—an ex-operative with a vaguely defined yet deadly skill set. Reyes stumbles into this situation largely by accident, spending much of the film either hungover or drugged to oblivion, which makes his sudden bursts of lethal efficiency all the more amusing. Hartnett, who has navigated an eclectic career from Pearl Harbor heartthrob to prestige roles in Oppenheimer and The Trap, fully commits to the film’s chaotic energy. His portrayal of Reyes is a mix of sardonic wit and self-deprecating charm, making him an easy protagonist to root for as the carnage unfolds.
Backing up Hartnett’s wild ride are a stellar cast of co-stars. Katee Sackhoff, as Reyes’ exasperated former commander, spends most of the film barking orders over the phone but still manages to inject gravitas and humour into her role. Charithra Chandran, initially presented as a doe-eyed flight attendant, quickly becomes a surprising wildcard. Meanwhile, the plane’s passengers—who largely turn out to be highly trained assassins—range from traditional gun-toting mercenaries to outlandishly creative killers wielding everything from knives to chainsaws. How any of them managed to get past airport security is anyone’s guess, but that’s a minor quibble in a film that gleefully disregards logic for sheer entertainment value.
The film’s action sequences are ludicrous in the best possible way, with fights that defy physics and brutality levels that would make even John Wick flinch. The relentless combat shreds both the aircraft and its occupants, leaving behind a cabin full of broken bodies, bullet holes, and increasingly implausible ways to kill someone in an enclosed space. Director James Madigan orchestrates the mayhem with a sharp eye for kinetic movement, while editor Ben Mills keeps the pacing razor-sharp. The film’s opening—an in medias res setup—feels a little clunky, but once the main storyline kicks in, Fight or Flight settles into an exhilarating rhythm that never lets up.
Fight or Flight is a masterfully executed, gloriously mindless action extravaganza that caters to fans of high-adrenaline spectacle. It never aims to challenge the intellect, but what it lacks in narrative depth, it more than makes up for with sheer entertainment value. The film revels in its over-the-top violence, absurd humour, and shamelessly indulgent action sequences, all of which combine to create an immensely satisfying cinematic sugar rush. Equal parts thrilling, hilarious, and utterly ludicrous, Fight or Flight is a must-watch for fans of high-flying, high-body-count action cinema. Highly recommended—both literally and figuratively.
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