Fight or Flight review: "Slick and silly action sequences garner well-earned John Wick and Bullet train comparisons"

How does one get a chainsaw on a plane? If that's a question that is sure to annoy you, Fight or Flight might not be the kind of tongue-in-cheek, escapist fun you're after. Yet, if you're willing to suspend reality and board a wild, ultra-violent turbo trip across the skies, then strap in for James Madigan's feature film debut.

The director, who has previously helmed Second Unit on movies like Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and The Meg, brings his action prowess to this film about a mercenary who gets more than he bargained for. Josh Hartnett plays Lucas Reyes, a former special agent who's been hiding out in Thailand for the past few years. When a mysterious criminal called The Ghost is located, he's pulled back into the line of duty by his former boss Katherine Brunt (The Mandalorian's Katee Sackhoff).

Told to board a plane set for San Francisco, his mission is to find and apprehend them. However, it's not long before things turn chaotic as he realizes he's not alone, and the flight is actually full of assassins hoping to manage the exact same task. What follows is an action movie that moves like a supersonic jet through incredibly brutal sequences, and it's a hell of a ride to be on.

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Soaring action

Doing his own stunts for the first time in 20 years, Hartnett proves what an adept leading man he's always been. He's been having a career resurgence over the past few years, appearing in the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer and leading M. Night Shyamalan's concert thriller Trap with a delightfully manic performance. Fight or Flight further cements Hartnett as one of the most interesting and diverse leads working in Hollywood right now.

His blonde-haired, airline pajama-clad Lucas is compelling as soon as he steps on screen, juggling humor and some seriously impressive fight sequences – including one particularly deranged moment with the aforementioned chainsaw. Other highlights include a one-shot sequence involving a drinks cart and a drugged-up fight set in a first class toilet that introduces the movie's violent tone.

Hartnett also adeptly handles depth to his character, which stops this from becoming an all-out action romp. In particular, his scenes with Bridgerton star Charithra Chandran's at-first bewildered flight attendant particularly stand-out. The pair share an easy chemistry on screen, and Chandran holds her own in the action carnage, a far cry from the gentle sensibilities of the ton for those who know her from Netflix's period romp.

Expect some turbulence

Yet, as the film develops, some of the heavier scenes between the pair don't work quite as well. An attempt to add some depth and meaning to the carnage lands a bit forced, and this is definitely a story that works best when it leans into its silliness.

Equally, the subplot off the plane is unsatisfying. While Sackhoff as Katherine does her best to bring a stoic mission headquarters anchor to the story, the scenes that take place in the navigation room rarely reach anything but parody status.

There's not enough development of the characters in there, including Julian Kostov's Aaron Hunter who becomes pretty one-dimensional as an 'angry, shouty agent'. Some twists and turns there too just end up reading a little odd rather than satisfying for the story's trajectory too. It's not enough to completely disrupt the flow of Fight or Flight, but it does cause a few unnecessary flight delays.

Pure escapism

Based on its synopsis alone, it would have been pretty easy to assume Fight or Flight fits into a neat action thriller box. A lone mercenary is recruited by a mysterious organization to help locate a criminal among a full flight of passengers, but he realizes actually he's on a flight full of assassins all with the same MO. So far, so Bullet Train on a plane, right?

Yet, while comparisons to David Leitch's slick action flick are apt and well-earned, what Madigan manages to do with Fight or Flight feels fresh still. This is mostly down to some incredible fight sequences influenced by the crew's work on John Wick and The Raid, that help elevate this movie from a pale imitation to something equally brutal and compelling.

Hartnett's charm and easy dynamic with Chandran help navigate what is sometimes a bit of a bumpy ride into something satisfying. Lean into the slick, silly action sequences and away from the trite subplots, and time will fly in this promising debut feature.

Fight or Flight is on Sky Cinema on February 28. US release date is TBC.

For more upcoming movies, check out our guide to 2025 movie release dates.