Fight or Flight, 2025.
Written and Directed by James Madigan.
Starring Josh Hartnett, Katee Sackhoff, Marko Zaror, Julian Kostov, Charithra Chandran, JuJu Chan Szeto, Sanjeev Kohli, Rebecka Johnston, Nóra Trokán, Sarah Lam, Irén Bordán, Danny Ashok, Willem van der Vegt, , Jyuddah Jaymes, Declan Baxter, Bálint Adorjáni, Melissa Bale, and Hughie O’Donnell.
SYNOPSIS:
A mercenary takes on the job of tracking down a target on a plane but must protect her when they’re surrounded by people trying to kill both of them.
With Fight or Flight, first-time writer/director James Madigan loads a tantalizing premise with just enough close-quarters action to thrill and offset some of the narrative and expository clunkiness that occasionally detracts from that selling point.
Excommunicated from an unspecified agency and labeled an irredeemable psychopath, Josh Hartnett’s Lucas Reyes is wasting away the rest of his days in Bangkok, suddenly finding some purpose to sober up and pull off a mission that would give him a clean slate. The bad news is that this opportunity comes from his former field and life partner, Katee Sackhoff’s Katherine Brunt, a backstabber now listed in his phone under a heavily vulgar, insulting name. Nevertheless, she assures she can get him a passport and his no-fly ban lifted if he immediately heads to the airport and boards a plane supposedly holding a dangerous hacker dubbed the Ghost, who has created a device that could spell catastrophe for electronic devices worldwide. He is instructed to bring her back alive.
Unknowingly, the plane is packed with assassins looking to kill the Ghost, with a bounty also placed on Lucas’ life. Cue several bloody brawls that are, for the most part, practically staged, impressively choreographed with a focus on ferocious momentum and editing synchronized to the rhythm of attacks, and elevated by several brutal kills. James Madigan also knows that this is a goofy premise, so he wisely maintains a comedic tone throughout with staff taking their jobs to meet the needs of VIP flyers seriously throughout the carnage and pilots dementedly excited that this violent incident might require an impromptu difficult plane landing that turns them into the next Sully (a hero who Tom Hanks would also play in a future film directed by Clint Eastwood).
It’s also a wise move not to let this spiral into a meandering, predictable mystery regarding the identity of the Ghost. Lucas pinpoints the individual soon after realizing the dangerous gravity of the situation, forcing their hand into being handcuffed to a dead body or temporarily joining the fight for survival alongside him. In another nutty revelation, the Ghost is also aided by an all-women team of martial artists trained with deadly blades (JuJu Chan Szeto plays their leader), which adds to the variety in fighting styles and deadly dispatch methods.
However, as the fight sequences in Fight or Flight tend to go bigger and gorier, especially for the finale, ugly digital blood-splatter effects disappointingly began to murk up the photography. No one should care how a chainsaw ended up in this plane in a film this ridiculous, but the shoddy visuals behind the dismemberment and blood spraying leave something to be desired and are far less effective than watching Josh Hartnett and stunt performers put through barbaric physical ballet.
These scenes are still entertaining, though, and nowhere near as frustrating as the long stretches away from the plane, trying to explain more about what agency Lucas is working for and the politicking behind those scenes. Strangely, the film also starts taking itself a bit too seriously when getting into the Ghost’s motivations and what the device is meant for. Thankfully, none of this is too bothersome since James Madigan generally doesn’t forget that “fight” is part of the film’s title.
Fight or Flight could still use slightly more of the former and less talking, but the claustrophobic mayhem on display here is worth a look, alongside an ensemble having a blast. Josh Hartnett’s inherent charisma plays right into the cartoonish tone here, and his enjoyment is infectious.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd
