Flight Risk

Opening in the snowy mountains of Alaska, a former accountant to a mafia boss is captured by a US marshal Madelyn Harris (Michelle Dockery), and the pair strike a plea bargain in return for his protection. To secure the agreement, the witness, Winston (Topher Grace), must testify in court in the next 24 hours and a small plane is hired to get the pair to Seattle. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, Madelyn becomes suspicious about their pilot (Mark Wahlberg), and what should be a simple flight turns into a journey from hell where all passengers must fight to survive the other and achieve their goal before landing.

Flight Risk is the kind of corny action movie that used to be released decades ago in a time when it was completely acceptable. It is always difficult to effectively execute a one-location movie, with 99% of the plot taking place inside the plane’s cockpit in this instance, and unfortunately for director Mel Gibson, these foibles raise their ugly head again. The narrative is entirely predictable, following the usual tropes that we became have become accustomed and numb to, particularly in the new streaming era where B-list movies are pumped out like no tomorrow. For an action movie, there is very little of the sort, with your pulse rising just slightly when Dockery takes control of the plane and narrowly misses crashing into a mountain.

When the reveal of a balding hairline on Wahlberg’s character is the highlight of the movie, some questions need to be asked about the rest of the plot’s substance. The 91-minute “thriller” is devoid of any tension or creativity aside from the lack of hair on Wahlberg’s scalp, which also ends up being incredibly distracting and an unnecessary addition. Visually, the film is a mixed bag, with the cinematography appearing at times cheap and others stunning.

However, despite all its failures, that is not to say the three actors don’t give 100% in this movie. Dockery is a strong female lead and entirely convincing in her on-screen combat with Wahlberg. You root for Madelyn from the off, and when paired with the comic relief Topher Grace, they make an enjoyable on-screen duo. Wahlberg chews the scenery for all its worth, but his sociopathic character allows him the opportunity to really push his sadistic boundaries. This truly is a curious project for Gibson to add to his directing credits alongside The Passion of the Christ, Braveheart and Hacksaw Ridge, and if you are thinking of going to see it, it really isn’t a risk worth taking.

Guy Lambert

Flight Risk is released nationwide on 24^th January 2025.

Watch the trailer for Flight Risk here: