Film Review: Flight Risk (2024)
★★★☆☆ (3/5) | Dir: Mel Gibson | Genre: Action Thriller

A Turbulent Thriller That Never Quite Reaches Cruising Altitude

Mel Gibson’s Flight Risk is a high-concept, low-subtlety thriller that delivers white-knuckle tension but crashes into cliché. Starring Mark Wahlberg as a morally ambiguous pilot and Jack Kesy (The Strain) as a fugitive with secrets, the film is a B-movie at heart—packed with mid-air mayhem but weighed down by predictable twists.

The Premise: Snakes on a Plane… Without the Snakes (or Fun)

Wahlberg plays a disgraced airline pilot hired for a covert mission: transport a handcuffed criminal (Kesy) across Alaska in a small plane. But when the flight turns into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, loyalties blur, and the body count rises. Think Non-Stop meets The Grey, but with more grunting and less Liam Neeson poetry.

Strengths: Gibson’s Gritty Direction

• Claustrophobic Tension: The single-location setup (mostly inside the rattling plane) works well, with Gibson wringing sweat out of every close-up.
• Jack Kesy’s Menace: The real standout, Kesy oozes unpredictable danger—his quiet menace outshines Wahlberg’s gruff heroics.
• Practical Effects: No CGI nonsense here; the aerial stunts feel visceral, especially a storm-soaked mid-air brawl.

Weaknesses: Seen-It-All Syndrome

• Wahlberg on Autopilot: He’s doing his usual “I’m just a regular guy in an irregular situation” shtick. Yawn.
• Predictable Twists: The script telegraphs its big reveals miles ahead. Even the “surprise” villain feels recycled.
• Mel’s Melodrama: Gibson can’t resist ham-fisted moralizing (cue: a heavy-handed speech about redemption).

Verdict: A Decent Binge-Watch, Not a Must-See

Flight Risk is competently made and occasionally thrilling, but it’s ultimately forgettable. If you’re stuck on a plane with nothing but this on the inflight entertainment? Sure, it’ll kill time. Just don’t expect Unstoppable-level highs.

For Fans Of: The Commuter, 7500, movies where someone yells “We’re not gonna make it!”
Skip If: You prefer your thrillers with brains, not just brawn.

MVP: The plane itself—a rustbucket Cessna that becomes the film’s most expressive character.
Fun Fact: Gibson originally wanted to shoot the entire film in one take (à la 1917), but budget constraints clipped its wings.