🎬 Flight Risk (2023) – A High-Altitude Thriller That Never Loses Control
⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (3.5/5)
Flight Risk (2023) takes off as a sleek, tension-filled thriller that proves director Jonas Pate knows how to keep audiences strapped in from takeoff to landing. Set almost entirely aboard a transatlantic flight, this claustrophobic suspense drama mixes psychological twists with edge-of-your-seat pacing to deliver a sharp, cinematic experience.
Elizabeth Debicki stars as Claire Weller, a federal air marshal with a haunted past, assigned to escort a mysterious and highly classified prisoner across international airspace. But when the plane is hijacked mid-flight and alliances begin to crumble, Claire must figure out who to trust—before time, and altitude, runs out.
The film leans into its limited setting with creative direction: narrow aisles, flickering cabin lights, and shaky turbulence become tools of suspense. Debicki delivers a commanding performance, balancing vulnerability with steel, while Sebastian Stan is chillingly charismatic as the enigmatic prisoner whose true identity may hold the key to a global conspiracy.
The supporting cast, including Giancarlo Esposito as the head of Homeland Security and Jessica Henwick as a rogue flight attendant, adds depth and layers of suspicion. The screenplay is tight, full of red herrings and smart reveals, with a final twist that lands surprisingly well.
Visually, Flight Risk is sleek and polished, with crisp aerial cinematography and intense, hand-to-hand combat that makes the most of tight quarters. The score by Ramin Djawadi adds an urgent pulse, heightening the suspense as trust unravels at 30,000 feet.
While some plot points may feel familiar, the execution keeps things fresh. Flight Risk doesn’t reinvent the genre—but it does deliver a solid, satisfying ride that will leave you double-checking your next boarding pass.