Movie Review: Skip ‘Flight Risk’—A January Misfire That Never Takes Off
"Flight Risk" offers a premise that feels more like the setup to a bad joke: What happens when a U.S. Marshal, a fugitive, and a volatile pilot are stuck in a small plane together? Unfortunately, the answer isn't much more than a disastrous, laughable thriller that doesn’t deserve the seat it’s occupying in theaters this January.
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, and Topher Grace, this film is a forgettable mess of a thriller-comedy that’s as aimless as its characters. It’s the kind of movie that feels like a car crash in slow motion, only in the sky—and not the entertaining kind. The plot centers on Dockery’s federal agent, tasked with transporting Grace’s fugitive-turned-witness to Anchorage to testify against the mob. Enter Wahlberg as the unhinged pilot they recruit to help them get there. The catch? Not everyone is who they claim to be. Spoiler: Wahlberg’s character is a deranged sociopath.
The problem is that the film doesn’t know what it wants to be. Dockery’s performance attempts to channel a Lara Croft-like action hero, serious and intense. Grace, on the other hand, seems stuck in a sitcom, delivering sarcastic one-liners as the nervous passenger. Meanwhile, Wahlberg takes a detour into full-blown Hannibal Lecter territory, sneering and threatening sexual violence at every turn—"We can play hide the hot dog," he ominously offers at one point.
As a result, the tone of "Flight Risk" is all over the place, as brutal violence and inappropriate jokes mix with absurd humor aimed at making fun of Spirit Airlines. Perhaps the only thing the film gets right is that, unlike its characters, Spirit at least knows how to land a plane.
Wahlberg’s character provides some unexpected moments of absurdity, like when he listens to New Order’s “Happy Mondays,” creating a bizarre contrast between the British New Wave classic and his psychotic demeanor. Later, it’s revealed that he’s wearing a wig—whether this is a deliberate choice or just part of the film’s chaotic vibe is unclear.
Screenwriter Jared Rosenberg seems obsessed with crude humor, with multiple scenes featuring characters urinating in public, along with an odd reference to a “Museum of Modern Art in my pants” after a harrowing flying sequence. It’s a strange blend of vulgarity and pop culture that doesn’t quite land.
Though the premise of the film is built around tension—killing the deranged pilot could lead to the deaths of everyone on board—what we get instead is lackluster dialogue and clumsy attempts at humor. One of Wahlberg's lines, “You know the last thing that goes through your mind in a crash? Your ass,” exemplifies the film's confused tone.
In a last-ditch effort to salvage some excitement, Dockery’s character uncovers a high-level government conspiracy, all while navigating the skies at 3,000 feet over the frozen Alaskan wilderness in a plane she can’t fly. Oh, and she starts a flirtatious radio relationship with a fellow pilot who’s called in to help them land safely. Talk about multitasking.
Director Mel Gibson’s return to the director’s chair after a decade of absence is underwhelming. While the film occasionally benefits from a lively camera that shifts between the claustrophobic cabin and the stunning Alaskan landscape, it’s far from enough to redeem this chaotic disaster.
Ultimately, "Flight Risk" is a mess that never finds its wings. Its tagline, “Y’all Need a Pilot?” would be more fittingly replaced with “Y’all Need a Filmmaker?” The film’s scattered tone, incoherent script, and erratic performances make it one to skip.
“Flight Risk,” from Lionsgate, is in theaters this Friday. Rated R for violence and language, with a runtime of 91 minutes. Zero stars out of four.