Ever since Flight Risk, the Mark Wahlberg-led thriller directed by Mel Gibson, came out in theaters early in the 2025 movie schedule, it’s been getting some pretty terrible reviews. But let me tell you something… I thoroughly enjoyed watching this suspenseful throwback thriller with a theater of other moviegoers during its surprisingly successful opening weekend.
Does the movie have problems? Yeah, but I didn’t go in expecting something on the same level as Conclave or other great recent thrillers. Despite those issues and in the face of those negative reviews, Flight Risk was kind of great in its own way. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me (I know I’m in the minority here), but at least hear me out…
Flight Risk Isn’t The Best Movie Ever Made, But It’s Actually More Fun Than I Expected
Let me start off by stating the obvious: Flight Risk isn’t the best movie ever made. Hell, it’s not even my favorite movie from the first month of 2025 (that would be Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, in case you were wondering). That said, this movie was a lot of fun and a whole lot more fun than its first trailer would lead you to believe. Well, maybe the whole bald Mark Wahlberg bit from the teaser was great.
It’s true that Flight Risk has a lackluster 26 percent on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing, but it also has a 63 percent Audience Score, which is honestly a more accurate way of gauging a movie like this. And after looking over several of the user comments, I’m not the only one who thought this movie was actually fun. It never takes itself all too seriously, has some great action sequences, and Wahlberg’s character is a hoot even when he’s not using that campy Southern accent.
Flight Risk Feels Like Something Right Out Of The ’90s, And I’m All About It
If you were to tell me that Flight Risk is some unproduced script from the 1990s that Mel Gibson has been sitting on all these years, I would believe you. Despite being released in early 2025, this high-stakes thriller feels like something that would go hand-in-hand with the best ‘90s action movies. I mean, that decade gave us all-time great plane movies like Air Force One, Passenger 57, and Con Air, and this Mark Wahlberg flick feels right at home with those.
The direction, the acting, the writing, and even some of the visual effects feel like throwbacks to a previous era when simpler and shorter action thrillers ruled the box office. And as someone who grew up watching all three of those ‘90s films on HBO, TNT, and AMC, seeing something that pays homage to those (even if it wasn’t the plan), took me back and allowed me to look beyond its shortcomings.
I Love A Good ‘Chamber Piece’ Setup, And Flight Risk Gave Me That
I’ve always been a fan of “Chamber Piece” movies like 12 Angry Men, Gravity, and Panic Room, and Flight Risk is another good example of the premise. Though there are some scenes early in the movie not set in the small, cramped airplane, the vast majority of the thriller’s 90-minute runtime is confined to that rusty propeller plane flying high above a mountain range in Alaska. And I honestly think it makes for a better movie.
With the action and drama in a single location throughout the movie, I was always focused on what was happening in front of me and not being taken to the U.S. Marshals and FBI as they tried to figure everything out. I was with the three main characters from the time they got into the plane and stayed in the fuselage until that little aircraft came in hot for a wild landing in the final minutes.
Though His Big Reveal Was Given Away In The Trailer, Mark Wahlberg’s Character Is Something Wild
When I first saw the Flight Risk trailer ahead of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis last fall, I could not believe it gave away the big reveal about Mark Wahlberg’s pilot not being who he said he was. And while I was initially bummed about this, it ended up having little to no impact on how much I loved the character. Let me tell you… Wahlberg’s first proper villain since Fear was something wild. Like, give-me-another-movie-just-about-this-guy kind of wild.
The fake accent, the over-the-top male pattern baldness, the facial expressions, the gum-chewing, the sinister look in his eyes, the way he asks “Y’all need a pilot,” and the whole “caged animal” demeanor in the final act, all make this one of Wahlberg’s most unhinged and wildest performances in quite some time. Honestly, I need more of it.
Without Going Into Specifics, There Are So Many Twists And Turns (Some Predictable, Others Not So Much)
The whole “Mark Wahlberg is the villain” reveal was given away in the trailer, but this doesn’t mean Flight Risk doesn’t have more twists and turns up its sleeves. Like all those thrillers from yesteryear, Mel Gibson’s first directorial effort since Hacksaw Ridge throws a lot at the audience in the final 20-30 minutes of flight time. Just like the best of them, these reveals are sometimes predictable while others aren’t so much. Without giving too much away, there are times when it’s best to trust your gut and others where the best solution is the easiest solution.
However, there were a couple of characters (again, I’m not going to spoil anything) who I dreaded would end up being one of the bad guys but was pleasantly surprised for that not to be the case. This was honestly extremely refreshing and made me enjoy the movie a little bit more.
Can We Get More 90-Minute Thrillers Like This?
Sure, I love long movies like it’s nobody’s business (I recently watched The Brutalist in theaters twice), but it was a nice change of pace watching a 90-minute thriller like Flight Risk. Basically, movies as a whole are getting way too long these days and a tight throwback thriller about a U.S. Marshal escorting a federal witness so he can testify against the mob doesn’t require all that much time. In fact, the short runtime enhanced the whole experience.
The movie never felt bogged down by unnecessary characters, subplots, or other superfluous details. It was stripped down, it was economical with its time, and it had pretty much all the fat trimmed down. I would love for this to become the norm, at least when it comes to action thrillers like this.
The moral of the story is that even though movies like Flight Risk get dismal reviews, you should still be able to enjoy what you want.
