Airplanes. Ever since 1903, when the Wright brothers flew the first plane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, planes have fascinated us. They invoke great memories of your last vacation and fantasies of faraway places.
But with a history of crashing, bombings, and hijackings, planes also bring with them a sense of anticipation, fear, and tension. With all these emotions already associated with airplanes, it’s clear to see why they make such great settings for movies. From frantic mothers, psycho killers, and of course, a plane full of snakes, these are the best movies that take place in an airplane.
Flightplan (2005)
During a long-haul flight, a mother (Jodie Foster) discovers that her daughter is missing. The movie is set on an “Elgin 474” aircraft, a plane which Foster’s character helped design. It’s a massive double-decker jet that, ironically, looks almost identical to a real plane that would enter service just a few years later, the Airbus A380. In the movie, Foster must find her daughter and figure out why she was kidnapped. It’s a film with great tension and suspense, as well as Jodie Foster delivering a great performance.
Airport (1970)
In this 1970 disaster movie, a massive blizzard hits the fictional Lincoln International Airport in Chicago. At the same time, a plane about to land as the airport has a suicide bomber threatening to blow up the aircraft. While slightly melodramatic, the movie is credited with creating the modern disaster genre. The film is based on the 1968 book of the same name and even went on to spawn three sequels - Airport 1975, Airport ‘77, and The Concorde…Airport ‘79.
Airplane! (1980)
Airplane! was a spoof on the Airport series, as well as a 1957 movie called Zero Hour! Things go wrong after meal service when it’s discovered that one of the dishes is sickening passengers…and the pilot. A flight attendant and a traumatized war veteran are forced to land the plane themselves.
The movie is completely hysterical and has gone on to be far more popular and more recognizable than the very films it’s a satire of. From the hilarious dialogue to the cheezy gags, the movie feels like SNL hijacked a feature film. The result is absolute absurdity and hilarity.
Snakes on a Plane (2006)
You have to appreciate a movie that doesn’t even try to think of a creative title, but instead, tells you exactly what you’re about to see. The movie centers around a trans-oceanic flight on South Pacific Airlines, where a crate of venomous snakes are released to kill everyone on board and bring the plane down. The acting isn’t good, the graphics aren’t good, and the story isn’t good. But, it’s snakes on a plane with Samuel L. Jackson. What more reason do you need to watch this movie?
Flight (2012)
Flight was loosely based on the real crash of Alaska Airlines flight 261, where a mechanical failure caused the plane to roll completely upside down. The pilots managed to keep the plane under control as best they could and even managed to keep it flying while inverted for a short time. Tragically, the plane crashed off the coast of LA and there were no survivors. In the film, Denzel Washington plays the pilot, and there’s an added plot element of him being an alcoholic and cocaine user, which leads to a complicated trial to determine whether the crash was mechanical or pilot error. The film went on to earn Washington an Oscar nomination.
Red Eye (2005)
Red Eye marked a big moment in Wes Craven’s career. It was his first big hit after years of critically-panned films like Scream 3 and Cursed. Red Eye is also notable for being a complete alteration of an airplane disaster film. It involves no hijackings, no bombs, and no plane crashes. Instead, it follows Lisa (Rachel McAdams) as she boards her flight. A man named Jackson (Cillian Murphy) sits next to her and tells her that he needs her help in a terrorist plot, and if she doesn’t help, her father will be killed.
Rather than using the airplane as the danger itself, the airplane is used as a claustrophobic, inescapable situation for Lisa. The movie is almost like a cat-and-mouse story, all taking place inside a single aircraft. The result was a win for Craven. Red Eye received positive reviews and was a box-office hit.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)
Neal Page is trying to get home from New York City to Chicago for Thanksgiving. At the start of his journey, he meets Del Griffith, a man who sells shower curtain rings. The two end up sitting next to each other on the flight out of New York, but before long, a blizzard causes their plane to divert to Witchita, Kansas. From there, the two are forced to use every mode of transportation imaginable to get back to Chicago. While the entire movie is hilarious, the airplane scenes are the highlights of the film, mocking in-flight meals, cramped seats, and annoying passengers.
Con Air (1997)
When a prison charter plane picks up a group of inmates, things go horribly wrong. Predictably, the prisoners hijack the plane, and lots of fighting, explosions, and good ole fashioned ’90s action follow. The film’s cast was also star-studded, with Nicholas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, and Dave Chappelle, just to name a few.
Even more interesting is the fact that the premise of the film is based on reality. The Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS) is very much a real thing and transports prisoners using a fleet of three aircraft. The schedules are kept secret from the public, and the prisoners themselves don’t even know they’re flying until the day of, in order to prevent riots onboard.
Sully (2016)
Sully is the true account of the “miracle on the Hudson,” where pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger managed to land a US Airways A320 on the Hudson River after a birdstrike destroyed power to both engines. The film chronicles the crash, as well as the lengthy trial that came after, as the airline desperately tried to place the blame on Sully. The event is known as the “miracle on the Hudson” because all 155 people on board survived. In the film, Tom Hanks plays Sully, for which he received numerous awards.
Air Force One (1997)
When Air Force One is hijacked by terrorists, it’s up to one president to make them pay. In the film, Harrison Ford plays president (and veteran) James Marshall. He uses his past military training to teach the hijackers that they messed with the wrong politician. Cheesy, over-the-top, but ohhhh so good. The film used an expert cast like Harrison Ford, Glenn Close, Gary Oldman, and William H. Macy to pull off what otherwise could have been a laughable film. The movie went on to be one of the highest-grossing films of the 90s, hauling in more than $315 million dollars.
