Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Flight

Play trailer Poster for Flight R Released Nov 2, 2012 2h 18m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
77% Tomatometer 239 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Commercial airline pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) has a problem with drugs and alcohol, though so far he's managed to complete his flights safely. His luck runs out when a disastrous mechanical malfunction sends his plane hurtling toward the ground. Whip pulls off a miraculous crash-landing that results in only six lives lost. Shaken to the core, Whip vows to get sober -- but when the crash investigation exposes his addiction, he finds himself in an even worse situation.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Flight

Flight

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Robert Zemeckis makes a triumphant return to live-action cinema with Flight, a thoughtful and provocative character study propelled by a compelling performance from Denzel Washington.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (239) Critics Reviews
Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com Flight isn't an easy sit. It doesn't offer up comforting answers to the many questions it raises or deal in exaggerated platitudes an audience might find simplistically comforting. Rated: 3.5/4 Apr 5, 2022 Full Review Megan Burbank Bitch Media Flight proves, in a bad way, that believable characters are essential for all good movies. Jan 14, 2021 Full Review Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online While his performance here is perhaps not as introspective as it had the potential to become... it is off kilter from his more usual fare these days making it that much more memorable and compelling. Rated: B+ Sep 7, 2017 Full Review Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson No actor I know working today can take a feather of character nuance and turn it into a moral fiber of steely resolve with merely a new look or a change of voice inflection the way Denzel can. Rated: 5/5 Oct 13, 2024 Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies Led by Denzel Washington's top-notch performance in Flight, Robert Zemeckis' return to live action was worth the wait. Rated: 4.5/5 Dec 28, 2022 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Washington delivers one of his most complex and intricate performances. Rated: 3.5/4 Sep 21, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews
Matt W This movie hits hard. I hate flying and I have a drinking problem. So this movie is triggering. But it's undeniably a great film and Denzel proves once again why he's one of the greatest actors of all time. This is a one and done film for me. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/20/24 Full Review Antony k I have watched this movie several times and each time feels like the first, it's incredible how Denzel's pilot character manages to invert the plane, glide it silently through the air and crash land it with only a minimal number of casualties. He does this calmly for a man who spent his night prior to flying, drinking and getting high on coke.. the movie portrays the destructive effects of substance use and it also shows that, even though acts of heroism may overshadow a person's true characters, we still have to face the consequences of our choices. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/02/24 Full Review Doug B Very good movie about battling substance abuse and addiction. The most riveting plane crash happens in the first part of the movie followed by what can be at times a bit slow road to the conclusion. Washington is exceptional. John Goodman is strangely miscast and it could have perhaps been edited more but overall recommended. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/25/24 Full Review Rob A An absolutely riveting story of addiction. Alcoholics think they can perform all life's functions drunk; perhaps that the drink even enhances their skills and perception. They believe they're fooling people. But it isn't true. When the day comes where things go sideways, your brain is operating at half capacity and your coordination is impaired. In this case it happened to a commercial airline pilot, wonderfully played by Denzel. And while he did amazingly save the day, the incident brings his secret life into the light. Bruce Greenwood, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly and John Goodman co-star. An argument could be made (albeit it a thin one) that this is one of the best films ever produced. (I'm in recovery myself - it's affected so many people, not to mention my life.) Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/22/24 Full Review Cee J I found the basis of the story laudable, but the actual script and character development lacking any depth that would allow the viewer to identify with the protagonist and his struggles. The scene with the Christian couple seems to spring from nowhere and distracts; it probably belonged on the cutting room floor, so to say. The early nudity serves no purpose other than to perhaps wake male viewers up and reveals thirst for attention. ;o) The scenes with the lawyer claiming he can get Whip out of responsibility are repetitive and should have been replaced with a deeper treatment of the struggle with addiction and the eventual decision to accept responsibility for Whip's actions. The script during the formal accident hearing is weak and does not provide the "character crescendo" that this viewer expected. He could have made a declarative statement about personal responsibility while protecting others' reputations, but the obvious choice for what could have been a zenith is TOTALLY lost. Rather, Whittaker just seems sick & tired of lying, so he blabs the truth.The final scene with his son in prison isn't developed and was a missed opportunity. This could have been a great picture, but ended up a slightly tedious waste of time. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/18/24 Full Review Sams K "Feelin' Alright" This movie is perfect Denzel Washington is such a great actor with a stunning John Goodman! Must watch. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/24/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Flight

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Flight

Flight: Official Clip - Inverting the Plane Flight: Official Clip - Inverting the Plane 2:12 Flight: Official Clip - Brace for impact Flight: Official Clip - Brace for impact 2:12 Flight: Official Clip - A Little Pick Me Up Flight: Official Clip - A Little Pick Me Up 2:13 Flight: Official Clip - The Freefall Flight: Official Clip - The Freefall 2:13 Flight: Official Clip - Chemo Brain Flight: Official Clip - Chemo Brain 2:14 Flight: Official Clip - We're Talking Jail Time Flight: Official Clip - We're Talking Jail Time 2:14 Flight: Official Clip - I'm Drunk Right Now Flight: Official Clip - I'm Drunk Right Now 2:10 Flight: Official Clip - I Drank Three Bottles Flight: Official Clip - I Drank Three Bottles 2:14 Flight: Official Clip - At Least I'm Sober Flight: Official Clip - At Least I'm Sober 2:08 Flight: Official Clip - Love Is Taking Off Flight: Official Clip - Love Is Taking Off 2:11 View more videos
Arbitrage 87% 62% Arbitrage Watchlist Oldboy 39% 37% Oldboy Watchlist The Rover 67% 52% The Rover Watchlist Side Effects 82% 70% Side Effects Watchlist TRAILER for Side Effects Take Shelter 92% 81% Take Shelter Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Commercial airline pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) has a problem with drugs and alcohol, though so far he's managed to complete his flights safely. His luck runs out when a disastrous mechanical malfunction sends his plane hurtling toward the ground. Whip pulls off a miraculous crash-landing that results in only six lives lost. Shaken to the core, Whip vows to get sober -- but when the crash investigation exposes his addiction, he finds himself in an even worse situation.
Director
Robert Zemeckis
Producer
Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke
Screenwriter
John Gatins
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
ImageMovers, Parkes/MacDonald
Rating
R (Intense Action Sequence|Drug and Alcohol Abuse|Language|Sexuality/Nudity)
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 2, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 2, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$93.7M
Runtime
2h 18m
Sound Mix
Datasat, Dolby Digital
Most Popular at Home Now