Josh Hartnett's Wild 'Assassins On A Plane' Movie Is A Must-Watch On Prime Video
by Rafael Motamayor · /FilmWe've written a lot about the downsides of the streaming era, and how easy it is for movies to get lost in a sea of new releases and never find an audience due to low marketing budgets. But when it comes to action movies of a certain kind, it's always been a struggle. There are countless awesome but silly direct-to-streaming movies that get lost every week on various platforms, just like they used to get lost in theaters or buried on VHS shelves. That's not new, and it's not going to change anytime soon.But it's a shame, because that means there are countless smaller action movies just waiting for the right audience to find them and realize they're a lot of fun.
That's where we come in. We scout through the sea of mediocre releases and nostalgia bait in order to remind you of the actual best action movies no one is talking about anymore. These are forgotten movies, or those that simply didn't have the marketing push they deserved during their initial release.
Such is the case for "Fight or Flight," a movie starring Josh Hartnett that was released as a Sky Cinema Original about a plane full of assassins.
Yes, really. The film follows a disgraced former Secret Service agent named Lucas Reyes (Josh Hartnett) who is given one last chance at redemption: he must identify and capture an elusive hacker on a flight from Bangkok to San Francisco. Easy enough, right? Well, complicating matters is the fact that the commercial flight the hacker is on is also filled with assassins from around the world, all tasked with killing both the hacker and Lucas. Now that it's streaming on Prime Video, "Fight or Flight" is a must-watch.
Fight or Flight is a bloody good use of a single location
"Fight or Flight" is directed by James Madigan in his feature debut, after working second unit on films like "Snake Eyes" and "The Meg," where he showed himself to be skilled at mixing action and humor. The film makes great use of a single location in a similar way to "Bullet Train."
In fact, this is in many ways "Bullet Train" but in the air, and that is in no way a criticism. The script, by Brooks McLaren and D.J. Cotrona, appeared on the 2020 Black List of best unproduced screenplays for a good reason: It's economical in its storytelling, but quite effective. In essence, it's a video game where Josh Hartnett's Lucas has to face assassin after assassin, each with their own gimmick that's as over the top and memorable as the last. Somehow, every killer for hire on this flight has their own specialty weapon, unique skill, and quirky personality. The clear stand out is Chayenne (Marko Zaror from "John Wick: Chapter 4"), an incredibly positive and uplifting killer who is obsessed with coming up with the perfect dance number.
Yes, this is an admittedly silly but hugely entertaining romp that has the same madcap energy of something like "Snakes on a Plane," with goofy gore and outrageous action. After all, it's a movie in which Josh Hartnett fires up a chainsaw in the middle of a flight. It works, and that's mostly due to Hartnett himself, who gives an appropriately unhinged performance. Lucas Reyes is not at all suave (but he thinks he is), he's eccentric in a very funny way, and he's surprisingly good at killing. Most importantly, Hartnett did his own stunts, and they are a blast to watch.
We're loving the Josh Hartnett comeback tour
Unfortunately, as good as "Fight or Flight" is, the film was not very successful. A sequel is teased at the end of the story, setting up a second chapter with even more threats to overcome, but considering the film barely made $4 million at the box office worldwide, you shouldn't get your hopes up.
Still, "Fight or Flight" served as yet another entry in what we can call Josh Hartnett's comeback tour; the Hartnettissance, if you will. After debuting in "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later," Hartnett exploded in fame almost immediately. He went on to play a key role in "The Virgin Suicides," cashing in on his heartthrob looks, but also played more dramatic, action-heavy movies like "Black Hawk Dawn" and "Pearl Harbor," and so much more.
Unfortunately, as big as Hartnett got, he suddenly faded away from wide releases in the late 2000s before making his triumphant return to cinemas in 2021 with Guy Ritchie's underrated "Wrath of Man." Since then, Hartnett has worked with Christopher Nolan in "Oppenheimer," turning in a memorable supporting performance, and also starred in M. Night Shyamalan's "Trap," giving one of his all-time best performances. Hartnett also had a memorable and quite funny supporting role on the FX series "The Bear," as well. Next, the actor is set to star in the Netflix thriller miniseries "Below," the new movie from "Wet Hot American Summer" creator Michael Showalter, and the next Oliver Stone joint.
Is "Fight and Flight" the best Josh Hartnettissance film? Hell no, that's "Trap." Still, it's a ridiculously fun, action-packed film with memorable villains and an unhinged Hartnett performance, so it's worth checking out on Prime Video.