I first heard of Fight or Flight at the tail end of 2024. At the time I noted commenters online saying that it was like The Raid (2011) on a plane. It seems that’s the go to comparison these days for any violent action film, as if they didn’t exist before The Raid. It’s either that or John Wick (2014), which I’m sure Fight or Flight was also compared to.
If it’s comparable to any modern action movie, I would have to go with Bullet Train (2022), for as like that film there is an assortment of unique characters all trapped within the one mode of transport. In this instance it’s a plane rather than a train but fundamentally it’s the same setup, with our main hero being forced to face off against an assortment of villains to reach his end goal.
Fight or Flight doesn’t have the production values of something like Bullet Train, with this having much more of a B movie feel. What it does have in its favor is an absolutely bonkers, go for broke attitude where the filmmakers have decided to go all out on the bone breaking, blood flowing action scenes. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting the film to go as extreme as it does, but it was all the better for it. Anytime a chainsaw shows up in an action scene you’ve got my attention.
Lucas Reyes (Josh Hartnett), a washed up ex Secret Service Agent, is slumming it in Bangkok when he receives a phone call from Katherine Brunt (Katee Sackhoff), a former flame and agent of a shadowy government agency. It turns out she and her team have been on the trail of mysterious terrorist “The Ghost” who has been spotted in Bangkok. With no available agents in the area, Brunt has no choice but to turn to Reyes. The fact that she is the cause of him being an ex-secret service agent doesn’t exactly make Reyes amenable to the task. Still, a job is a job, and with him looking for a way out of Bangkok he takes the assignment.
Reyes is told that “The Ghost” is on a plane to San Francisco and that he has to board the same plane and uncover their identity. That would be easier if it wasn’t the fact that the plane is filled with an assortment of hired killers who are also looking to find “The Ghost”. As Reyes begins to find out the truth behind “The Ghost” and their motives, he must deal with an army of killers who end up in a battle royale thousands of feet in the air.
Fight or Flight marks the directorial debut of James Madigan, who up until this point has mostly worked either in visual effects or as second unit director. Some of the better known films he has worked on are Snake Eyes (2021) and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023). You shouldn’t hold that against him as Madigan has turned in an energetic actioner that whilst not exactly original, is filled to the brim with humor and gore filled action scenes. Madigan brings a vitality to the action, taking full advantage of the film’s confined spaces to create several memorable set pieces that seriously betray the film’s low budget.
Unsurprisingly, it’s the action that initially drew me to Fight or Flight, or more to the point who was behind the action. Brahim Chab had already impressed with his work as fight choreographer on Monkey Man (2024), so I was excited to see what he would bring to the action this time round. The action certainly carries the same quality of choreography that served Monkey Man so well, although the action here seems even more chaotic, like an uber violent take on Jackie Chan style fight scenes. It’s perfectly in line with the tone of the film and another notch on Chab’s belt. He’s already becoming one of the most dependable fight choreographers currently working today. If only he could have somehow appeared in front of the camera as well as behind it.
Chab isn’t the only notable name working on the action. I was surprised to see Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016) and Jiu Jitsu (2020) leading man Alain Moussi listed as stunt coordinator, not because he did a poor job but more because I thought by now he had established himself as an action star in his own right. I would have expected Moussi to have appeared on screen, although I’m not sure in what role. Perhaps if Hartnett was unavailable Moussi could have stepped in. He would have at least been able to handle the action side of the role.
As well as Chab and Moussi, there was another name involved in the production that could easily have appeared in front of the screen, with one of the listed screenwriters being actor D.J. Cotrona. Writing alongside Brooks McLaren, their script may be generic in terms of plot but is filled with many off and eccentric touches that manage to set Fight or Flight apart from the norm.
As this appears to be Cotrona’s only writing credit, I can only assume at one point it was planned he would play the lead character, with him writing the script for himself. If that’s the case, I could certainly see him pulling off the Hartnett role, although I’m not sure he would have brought the same energy Hartnett puts into his performance.
I have to say, this wasn’t the career trajectory I was expecting from Josh Harnett after appearing in Oppenheimer (2023). It’s not that he’s not appeared in action movies before, with one of my personal favorites being the underrated Bunraku (2010). Even recently he co-starred alongside Jason Statham in two of Statham’s standout films, Wrath of Man (2021) and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023). As great as both of those were, they didn’t exactly give Hartnett the most to do in terms of action.
That is rectified with Fight or Flight, with Hartnett going all in on the action, giving a fully committed performance. Even out of the action Hartnett impresses, with his character being suitably crazy which only escalates due to the predicament he finds himself in. The amount of alcohol and drugs he consumes only adds fuel to the fire, with Hartnett’s Lucas at one point seeing everything in beautiful dayglo colors whilst we the audience get to witness the real gruesome results. This is just one of many imaginative moments that director James Madigan peppers throughout the film.
It was great to see Marko Zaror amongst Hartnett’s fellow plane passengers. Zaror gives a flamboyantly eccentric performance, one which I just wish there was more of. As great as he was, he is mostly underused here, with his screen time being relatively short. At least he does get to face off against Hartnett in a violent fight scene that capably mixes laughs with the carnage. As small as his role was, it’s great to see Zaror getting more mainstream exposure. His upcoming Diablo (2025) will probably be a better star vehicle for him, as it doesn’t only reteam him with regular collaborator Ernesto Díaz Espinoza on directing duties but will find him once again co-starring with fellow martial arts legend Scott Adkins.
Of the other martial artists in the film, JuJu Chan Szeto actually ends up getting more screen time than the likes of Zaror, with her getting quite a few opportunities to show off her martial arts skills, which is good as she is given very little in terms of character to play with. Still, she adds just another layer of fun to the crazy antics developing on screen.
Similarly, Katee Sackhoff doesn’t really get much to do, with the majority of her scenes taking place in the one setting. For the most part, her scenes consist of her talking over the phone to Hartnett, with there being some added tension between the two due to a failed relationship. As the film progresses it appears that the failure of said relationship was probably more down to the ruthlessness of Sackhoff’s character than Hartnett’s. Sackhoff adds some sarkiness to her performance and she is a welcome addition, even if it does seem like her entire performance could have been filmed in a day.
Making more of an impression is Charithra Chandran, whose Isha turns out to be the sole reason Lucas is on the plane. Chandran brings a degree of charm to her role, that even when you aren’t sure of her true motives that you can’t help but like her. While the majority of the action focuses on Hartnett, Chandran does get involved at points, especially during the gleefully demented finale.
Fight or Flight came as a breath of fresh air. An action film that seems to have come from nowhere, with its only aim to entertain. It’s not perfect, with the plot not being exactly original. The ending also isn’t perfect with its attempts to set up a sequel, but I am able to forgive these minor issues when the rest of the film was so enjoyable.
The scattered release of the film won’t exactly do it any favors, with it not being due in the U.S. until May. I had already viewed the film last month in the UK and I suspect many other countries already have access to the film. Hopefully this won’t hamper its chances too much, as Fight or Flight is crazy fun.
Plot: 3.5/5
Acting: 4/5
Action: 4.5/5
Overall: 4/5
