An airplane is a vehicle for transporting passengers, but for Hollywood, it’s a conduit for a good story. There’s something about setting a movie 30,000 feet in the air that facilitates action. Perhaps it ignites, like in “Love at First Sight.” Maybe it’s action, like in “Non-Stop.” Even reptiles found their way into the cockpit in “Snakes on a Plane.” Whatever the genre, planes continue to serve as the setting for some of our favorite movies.
The airplane genre gets a new entry this week with “Flight Risk,” Mel Gibson’s action thriller starring Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, and Topher Grace. To mark the occasion, here are five of the best movies set on a plane.
5. ‘Con Air’
In the mid-’90s, Nicolas Cage made a strong argument for the biggest action star in Hollywood. After saving the world from chemical warfare in “The Rock,” Cage upped the difficulty and tried to stop a plane full of felons in “Con Air.” After spending eight years in prison after a self-defense killing, a paroled Cameron Poe (Cage) joins a group of convicted murderers and rapists on a prison transport plane to Alabama.
During the flight, the prisoners, led by serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich), stage a successful uprising and take control of the plane. Poe wants to get home to see his family, but as a convict with a heart, he refuses to let innocent people die. So with the help of U.S. Marshall Vince Larkin (John Cusack) on the ground, Poe attempts to thwart Cyrus’ plan in the air. Backed by a memorable performance from Cage, “Con Air” is the perfect mix of an entertaining thrill ride and ridiculous fun.
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4. ‘Red Eye’
"Red Eye" is a proper thriller. The 85-minute nail-biter stars Rachel McAdams as Lisa Reisert, a woman flying on the red-eye flight from Dallas to Miami after attending her grandmother’s funeral. Before the flight, Lisa meets the dashing Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) at the airport bar and the two converse over a drink. When Jackson sits next to Lisa on the plane, she thinks it’s a charming coincidence.
After takeoff, Jackson reveals that he is a terrorist who needs Lisa’s help to assassinate the deputy of Homeland Security. Lisa works at the hotel where the Homeland Security executive is currently staying. If Lisa refuses to help, Jackson will kill her father (Brian Cox). The ensuing cat-and-mouse thriller is genuinely scary and full of tension. With Wes Craven, a master of suspense, behind the camera, “Red Eye” is a first-ballot B movie Hall of Famer.
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3. ‘Airplane!’
The ‘70s ushered in a series of disaster films, notably the “Airport” series. Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker decided to spoof the genre in the ‘80s with “Airplane!” Using 1957’s “Zero Hour!” as inspiration, “Airplane!” follows Ted Striker (Robert Hays), an ex-war pilot who developed a fear of flying.
To win back his flight attendant ex-girlfriend, Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty), Ted follows her onto a plane from Los Angeles to Chicago. When the entire crew gets food poisoning, it’s up to Ted to land the plane and save the day. Embrace the silliness of “Airplane!” It’s 87 minutes of continuous gags, jokes, and Leslie Nielsen.
►Watch on AMC Plus
2. ‘Flight’
Out of the five films on this list, “Flight” spends the least time on an actual airplane. Denzel Washington’s Captain Whip Whitaker spends about 10 minutes on the plane, which happens in the film’s first act. On the morning of the flight, Whip ingests cocaine after an all-night bender. Once he gets on the plane, he chugs a vodka-orange juice and takes a nap, allowing his co-pilot Ken Evans (Brian Geraghty) to take over.
The flight goes haywire after the plane suffers mechanical failure, causing it to go into a deep dive. From the freefall to the inversion, “Flight’s” crash is one of the most invigorating and terrifying flight scenes ever depicted. The ensuing movie becomes a showcase for Washington to play a tortured character, but the crash scene will stick with you once the credits roll.
►Watch on Paramount Plus
1. ‘Air Force One’
Putting Harrison Ford in the center of an action thriller is a recipe for success. But having him play the President of the United States was the icing on the cake. President James Marshall (Ford) is in Moscow with his family for a diplomatic dinner. After takeoff, neo-Soviet radicals hijack the plane and threaten to kill a hostage every 30 minutes if their tyrannical leader is not released from prison.
What the hostages don’t know is that President Marshall elected to stay on the plane and not use his escape pod. As a former army veteran, Marshall relies on his training to pick off some of the unsuspecting hijackers. He must hurry, though, if he wants to save his family. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, “Air Force One” is a standout ‘90s thriller with compelling action and a committed Ford, who confidently delivers the film’s unforgettable line: “Get off my plane!”
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