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Flight

Flight

Some miracles are not what they seem.

2012138 minRMidcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Director
Robert Zemeckis
Starring
Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, John Goodman

Commercial airline pilot Whip Whitaker 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.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Flight?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Flight streaming on Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Flight?

Flight earns 14 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Top 10% in Drama.

Show 6 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Flight worth watching?

Flight's Midcredits score is the 89th percentile of all films, from 657K ratings across 6 sources. 81% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

89th percentile

Better received than 89% of films

91st percentile among Drama89th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)84th
Approval (how many liked it)91st

72 /100

84th percentile of all films

87th percentile among Drama83rd percentile among 2010s

Critics 76 · Audience 71

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A tight consensus around 7.4 — people broadly agree on this one.

81% liked it

91st percentile of all films

92nd percentile among Drama92nd percentile among 2010s
81% rated it 7–1019% rated it 1–6

Critics 77% · Audience 75%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 2 Oscar noms · 11 wins / 44 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Writing, Original Screenplay

99th percentile

656K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 52% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$31M
Opening weekend$25M
Domestic gross$94M
Worldwide gross$162M

Returned 5.2× its budget — 98th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A character-driven drama anchored by Denzel Washington's committed performance as a deeply flawed, alcoholic pilot.

Fans praised

  • A magnetically raw character study of addiction
  • Superb cast with standout supporting turns
  • Harrowing, technically brilliant crash sequence

Detractors panned

  • Predictable redemption arc and heavy-handed moralizing
  • Unlikable protagonist with thin backstory
  • Overlong runtime with extraneous subplots

What stands out

ActingDivisive88

Washington's career-best, emotionally raw portrayal

Effects and spectacleDivisive85

Realistic, terrifying plane crash and inverted flight

TensionDivisive80

Edge-of-seat crash sequence and courtroom stakes

Emotional impactDivisive70

Washington's vulnerability generates sympathy despite the character's flaws

Plot and storyDivisive60

Compelling premise, predictable addiction arc

CharactersDivisive55

Flawed protagonist, thin supporting roles

PacingDivisive50

Gripping first act, sagging middle

OriginalityDivisive50

Familiar addiction-recovery structure

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 16 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 10 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Flight like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseContemplativeDread
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film maintains a serious, unflinching tone about addiction, never mocking its subject.
The rideThe film moves from tense flight scenes to a heavier, contemplative exploration of consequences in the later acts.
StructureConventional linear timeline from the crash through the investigation and personal reckoning.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a bittersweet taste as the protagonist sacrifices his freedom for honesty, yet finds sobriety and a new beginning.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% (this title) · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Redemption: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).

13% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film follows a pilot forced to confront his alcoholism after miraculously crash-landing a plane, tracking his journey from denial to acceptance.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfAddictionSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% (this title) · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

Addiction · 1% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film delves into the destructive pull of addiction and the difficult path toward honesty and self-forgiveness.
StanceThe film interrogates Whip's denial and moral responsibility without offering easy redemption.

The world

ContemporaryIn transitUrbanRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Alan Silvestri
SettingCommercial airline flight and its aftermath in the aviation world
MusicThe score underpins the tense flight sequences and somber character moments.

Content guide

Is Flight okay for kids?

R

Flight is rated R: “Rated R for drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action sequence” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (59/100), sexual content at intense (77/100), language at severe (86/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (96/100) and frightening material at moderate (60/100). Overall it is heavier than 92% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 25 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • Ireland15A
  • New ZealandR16
  • South Korea18
  • Brazil14
  • Belgium18
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-12
  • Greece15
  • Hungary18
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway15
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO15
  • Russia18+
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland14
  • Taiwan限制級
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 95% of all filmsHeavier than 92% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 35%
Sex & Nudity
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 96%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 84%
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 99%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 44%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is drug and alcohol content, language, and sexual content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Flight have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Flight?

Cast

4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Denzel Washington
as Whip Whitaker
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Don Cheadle
as Hugh Lang
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kelly Reilly
as Nicole
John Goodman
as Harling Mays
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Bruce Greenwood
as Charlie Anderson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Brian Geraghty
as Ken Evans
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Tamara Tunie
as Margaret Thomason
Nadine Velazquez
as Katerina Marquez
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Peter Gerety
as Avington Carr
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Garcelle Beauvais
as Deana
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Flight?

Movies like Flight include The Benefactor (2015) and To Leslie (2022), both films about addiction.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Flight?

7K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: found family. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.