‘Fight Or Flight’ Review – Savage, Enthralling, And Fueled By Carnage

The response to Fight or Flight should be not to walk but to run to theaters for Josh Hartnett’s exhilarating new action-comedy. At the center of it all is a humbling performance from Hartnett, who effortlessly lets the joke be on him while executing crackling action stunts. The result is an action-packed thrill ride—an addictive shot of hilarious adrenaline. That’s high praise for Hartnett, who has been experiencing a career resurgence following his well-regarded supporting turn in Oppenheimer and last year’s performance in Trap.

An homage to B-Movie bliss, Fight or Flight, aka Assassins on a Plane, is simply too much fun to ignore.

The story follows a down-on-his-luck Lucas Reyes (Hartnett), a former Secret Service agent who his own government has blacklisted. Why? Well, that’s what happens when you don’t just have a mental break but a full-on, shattering crack—one that led to violent behavior and cost him his career. So, while drinking his problems away in a dive bar on the streets of Thailand, he receives a phone call that could give him his life back. That’s because an infamous terrorist known as “The Ghost” resurfaces.

His former boss, Katherine (Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff), recruits him for one mission after finding out he is in the very city where Reyes is performing his daily ritual of inebriation. She asks Lucas to board an international flight, where The Ghost reportedly has a ticket, and asks him to be brought to justice. If Reyes can locate and apprehend the terrorist, she’ll clean his slate. With the help of anxious and plucky flight attendants Royce (Roadkills’s Danny Ashok) and Isha (Dune: Prophecy’s Charithra Chandran). However, there’s one catch.

The place is packed with mercenaries from around the world, all of who have caught wind of The Ghost’s departure. Everyone wants a piece—like Reyes—driven by financial, personal, or professional motives. Blood splatters. A few kunoichi make an appearance. Seat belts, personal computers, and somehow even a chainsaw—oh my! Anything within reach becomes a weapon in this gloriously bloody, action-packed ride.

Under the direction of James Madigan (Medal of Honor, Runaways), working with a script from Brooks McLaren (How It Ends) and D.J. Cotrona (Shazam!), the film crafts a live-action, frenetic comic strip that throttles your throat and refuses to let go. The movie features a handful of excellent fight sequences. This is no surprise, given that a few producers come from John Wick. However, the key difference here is the comic relief that Hartnett brings to the scenes—especially early on—setting a great tone throughout the film.

What you should love about Fight or Flight, despite its campy trappings and a few supporting actors who range from relishing their roles to outright overplaying them—here’s looking at you, Julian Kostov—is its full-throttle aggressiveness, not just to push the envelope but to tear it apart. While the experience can be overwrought to the point of exhaustion at times, Hartnett’s lovable, endearing presence pulls the audience through.

This is a savage, high-velocity thrill ride fueled by carnage. Say what you want about the experience of Fight or Flight. If you don’t walk away from the experience entertained, that’s on you.

Fight or Flight is currently available through Sky Cinema in the UK. The film will premiere in the U.S. only in theaters on May 9, 2025, courtesy of Vertical Entertainment.