There’s something to be said about an action flick that embraces chaos and lets insanity become part of its charm. We saw it with films such as Smokin’ Aces, Snakes on a Plane, and countless others from the late ’90s and early 2000s—and now, we have it again with Fight or Flight, and I couldn’t be happier.
Directed by James Madigan and led by a revitalized Josh Hartnett, this airline thriller combines bone-crushing action with complete absurdity to deliver one of 2025’s must-watch movies. Despite its modest budget (under $20 million) and claustrophobic airplane setting, Fight or Flight fully delivers on its premise and provides more fun than most blockbusters that have filled screens in recent years.
The premise of Fight or Flight is incredibly simple: disgraced former Secret Service agent Lucas Reyes (Hartnett), living out his days drunk and hiding in Bangkok, finds himself pulled back into action when he’s recruited to board a San Francisco–bound flight to capture a shadowy hacker known as “the Ghost.” The only problem? The plane is packed with assassins competing for the same bounty—what could go wrong? This setup leads to non-stop violence, as Reyes teams up with quick-witted flight attendant Isha (Charithra Chandran) to survive the chaos and, hopefully, finish the flight in one piece.
“Despite its modest budget (under $20 million) and claustrophobic airplane setting, Fight or Flight fully delivers on its premise and provides more fun than most blockbusters that have filled screens in recent years.”
Fight or Flight is the kind of movie that I used to see trailers for in university, convincing my friends to watch as a fun way to kick off a night out—and even though it may be insane, it works. Madigan, who previously served as second-unit director on Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, brings that experience to bear, delivering a high-octane action flick set entirely within an incredibly confined space, leaving viewers clutching their armrests for the entire 97-minute runtime.
From hallucinogen-fuelled bloody battles to chainsaw duels as the plane begins to break apart, the film embraces its absurdity better than I thought possible. Fight or Flight is the type of film we all dreamed of making when discussing the perfect concept over high-school lunches—only this one somehow got a budget and is hitting theatres nationwide.
Bleach-blond and battered, his Reyes is equal parts weary expert and unhinged brawler—a man very much in the mould of John Wick, able to kill as easily with a bottle as with a sword, and ready to take down everyone who gets in his way. At 46, Josh Hartnett delivers one of his most physically demanding roles in decades, even performing all his own stunts —a feat I did not expect, but one that adds to the film’s overall physicality.
“While Hartnett firmly embodies the madness, the ensemble cast in Fight or Flight injects personality into archetypal roles and makes it all feel fully realized.”
Fight or Flight embraces this fact and uses Hartnett’s talent and presence to full effect. A standout single-take sequence sees Reyes weaponize a drink cart against multiple attackers, the camera weaving through aisles as he transitions from martial arts to improvised weapons. It is the kind of action we don’t often see in a world of CGI-filled superhero films, but one that puts the talent behind the work on full display. It once again reminds me of the John Wick series, only more blood-soaked and taking itself far less seriously.
While Hartnett firmly embodies the madness, the ensemble cast in Fight or Flight injects personality into archetypal roles and makes it all feel fully realized. Chandran shines as Isha, subverting the “helpless civilian” trope with sharp wit, survival instincts and serving as the straight man to the often unhinged Reyes. Katee Sackhoff delivers the camp as Reyes’ ex-lover turned government operative, her motives blurring between duty and deception. The rest of the cast embraces the B-movie feel as a range of assassins, each more ridiculous than the last, all while raising the stakes with each new encounter.
Yet the real star of the show is the setting and concept. Having all the action take place on a single aircraft keeps things moving, creating a sense of constant momentum and tension, leading to a feeling of urgency. Overhead compartments become weapon caches, galley kitchens transform into battlegrounds, and even the lavatory hosts a coked-up fistfight. This spatial creativity echoes Dredd, only with a much more absurd sense of humour. This is a movie where you need to check your sense of reality at the door, with much of the film collapsing under even the slightest scrutiny—but my advice: just roll with it.
Screenwriters D.J. Cotrona and Brooks McLaren (Wind River) bring some real humanity to the proceedings, giving the unhinged characters some semblance of drive and purpose. As the film quickly moves from a mystery to pure carnage, we see Reyes evolve and change from someone we want to see cause chaos to someone we genuinely want to see prevail against the odds. There are plenty of subplots that ultimately go nowhere, and twists that don’t really add to the overall narrative—and despite my better judgment, I am fine with that, with the end result delivering where it counts most.
Fight or Flight walks the fine line between sincere and satire but manages to pull it off in spite of itself. You are never fully sure if the film is taking itself seriously or just rolling with the punches to deliver an insane punchline, yet it somehow manages to work. Sackhoff’s deadpan delivery of the line, “Are you telling me that plane is full of killers?” embodies this concept, much the way we saw Samuel L. Jackson deliver the iconic Snakes on a Plane line that catapulted that film into stardom. It is this level of control and self-awareness that helps the film avoid the pitfalls of many recent meta-action comedies and keeps it from falling into pure and insufferable irony.
While not perfect, Fight or Flight never overstays its welcome and delivers action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It feels like a film made for the Netflix formula—big stars, a high-concept premise, and minimal brainpower required—only it does it perfectly, without degrading into complete nonsense and set-piece moments that lead nowhere. Unlikely to dethrone the likes of John Wick or Mission: Impossible, Fight or Flight manages to carve out a blood-soaked seat at the table—and remains a worthy watch for anyone who just wants to see assassins, carnage and pure, unadulterated action.
