Flight Risk (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – A pilot transports an Air Marshal accompanying a fugitive to trial. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions soar and trust is tested, as not everyone on board is who they seem.

My Take – While his acting career, particularly over the last decade or so, following his much publicized legal troubles, has had him relegated to roles mostly in low budget thrillers, yet, as a writer-producer-director, Mel Gibson is still considered somewhat prestige.

With multiple award winning features like Braveheart (1995), The Passion of the Christ (2004), Apocalypto (2006) and Hacksaw Ridge (2016) filling up his filmography, a Mel Gibson directorial carries all the weight one expects from a heavy hitting filmmaker.

And while the world awaits the release of the much-anticipated follow-up, The Resurrection of the Christ, here comes a strange duck in the form of a potential high stakes, suspense thriller set entirely on a small private plane and sees Mark Wahlberg play a villain, his first since Fear (1996).

To its credit, the film delivers what is advertised, however, at the same time, it does not. Despite a compelling premise and a few gripping moments, the film struggles to maintain altitude, hindered especially by a narrative that rarely deviates from genre conventions.

Sure, the twisty nature of the narrative and a balding Wahlberg, who brings his usual A-game as a conniving and slimy scum bag who wants nothing more than to tear the two other passengers apart, keep things watchable.

But the plot sticks to a safe and predictable route that we’ve seen at least hundred times. For fans of survival thrillers and mid-air suspense, the 91 minute long runtime may offer just enough to hold their attention. However, those seeking a truly gripping and original experience, especially from someone with Mel Gibson‘s caliber, will find themselves disappointed.

The story follows Madolyn Harris (Michelle Dockery), a Deputy U.S. Marshal, who bursts into a tacky Alaskan motel room to arrest mob accountant Winston (Topher Grace) who has been hiding after making the mistake of skimming millions from his currently incarcerated boss. Persuaded to turn state’s witness in exchange of immunity, Madolyn is tasked with escorting a shackled Winston onto a single-engine plane that’s seen better days for a quick flight to Anchorage, where he’s scheduled to testify.

The pilot turns out to be Daryl Booth (Mark Wahlberg), a Texan who simply seems excited to be at service and meet new people. Sure enough, Daryl soon reveals his true colors and nearly takes out Madolyn until she manages to Taser and subdue him. Unfortunately, he’s also the only one who knows how to fly the plane.

The setup is undeniably intriguing. A chartered flight becomes a claustrophobic battleground when identities are revealed and allegiances tested. The isolation of the Alaskan wilderness amplifies the stakes, with no immediate rescue in sight. Writer Jared Rosenberg‘s script creates an inherent tension that keeps the audience engaged early on.

The concept of a pilot secretly working as a hitman for a crime family, coupled with a desperate fugitive and a determined marshal, could have worked perfectly as psychological thriller. Sadly, the execution falls short of its potential. Though the Mel Gibson directed film promises twists and turns, the narrative relies heavily on predictable tropes.

But nothing comes close to the questionable creative choices director Gibson makes to have Wahlberg‘s Daryl spend the majority of the film unconscious. While the film’s marketing has been focused on Wahlberg harassing, taunting, threatening, and attacking his two fellow passengers as they make haphazard attempts to fly the plane. And when he wakes up he spends much of the running time tied up in the back of the plane, hurling increasingly profane taunts that, according to Gibson, were largely improvised.

Even the film’s action beats, though well-choreographed, are spaced too far apart, creating a disjointed rhythm. The climactic sequences, while more engaging, arrive too late to fully redeem the sluggish narrative.

Performances wise, Mark Wahlberg leans into the generic villain archetype completely. The actor actually shaved his head for the role and lets his inner freak fly for a character who is extravagantly evil. Michelle Dockery delivers an impressively hard-edged performance that shouldn’t be coming as a surprise from Downton Abbey’s Lady Mary Crawley.

Topher Grace provides plenty of comic relief as the jittery prisoner who manages to make snarky wisecracks even while on the verge of dying. Maaz Ali, Paul Ben-Victor, and Leah Remini contribute voice work in supporting roles. On the whole, ‘Flight Risk‘ is a mediocre thriller whose lackluster script prevents it from reaching its true potential.