“Fight or Flight” is scrappy and so knowingly outrageous, it has a shot at becoming the kind of cult film that plays to a rowdy crowds at midnight.
If that happens, I won’t be the least bit surprised.
For now, we’re stuck with this gory patience tester that aims to entertain us by bludgeoning the audience with excess. It’s also extremely similar to a popular movie that only came out a few years ago (more on that later).
Josh Hartnett stars as Lucas Reyes, a mercenary who takes an assignment from his no-nonsense boss (Katee Sackoff) to board a flight full of killers, in order to infiltrate a highly sought after individual known only as The Ghost.
Once aboard, Lucas immediately exchanges blows with one passenger after another.
At least the fight choreography is inventive, and the bloodletting is non-stop. It occurred to me early on into “Thunderbolts*,” currently the number one movie in America, that I’m becoming sick of interchangeable Krav Maga tussles. That’s especially true when the battles consist of little more than a few exchanged blows, someone gets thrown over a shoulder an onto the floor, then they’re on their feet and it starts all over again.
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I have to hand it to “Fight or Flight”- the beatings dished out and absorbed are gnarly, even when the logistics are beyond cartoonish (somehow, a chainsaw is stashed onto the plane and gets lots of screen time).
If you’ve already seen “Bullet Train” (2022), then you’ve watched the far more lavish version of this movie, though I liked “Fight or Flight” slightly better.
Why? A somewhat shorter running time, less needless world building and it knows when to finally quit.
Also, whereas “Bullet Train” presents interchangeable CGI mayhem, “Fight or Flight” has a completely bonkers third act in which Hartnett and film itself goes so over the top, I admired the audacity and what-me-worry comic tone that snatches the rousing final reel.
Hartnett was far more impressive and controlled playing an atypical character in M. Night Shyamalan’s “Trap” (2024), where he gave a great performance in a bad movie. Here, sporting a hideous blond dye job but more than up to the physical challenges of the role, he once again impresses for his willingness to go all out for some truly nutty material.
Sackoff does what she can in the fairly generic role of Reyes’ superior, while the rest of the cast clearly worked hard on the agonizing choreography.
I wondered if the movie would win me over after beginning on a note that completely turned me off. The first scene is a slow-motion shot of chaos erupting on a flight and passengers punching one another. The imagery reminded me a lot of Paul Greengrass’ “United 93” (2006).
I don’t mean to be a bummer and bring up that movie – the blatant reminder “Fight or Flight” gave me of Greengrass’ movie was mercifully short lived.
At the moment, I’m unsure if I should recommend “Fight or Flight” because it succeeds despite having such small goals or applaud the film for having little to achieve besides effectively staging an endless stream of fight sequences. If this is the B-movie version of “Bullet Train,” then it’s very good for what it is.
It’s still a B-movie version of “Bullet Train.”
Funny, how Hartnett’s battle against Alaskan vampires in the enjoyable “30 Days of Night” is looking like an art film compared to his recent acting pursuits.
Hartnett’s commitment to such looney material and the “Evil Dead”-worthy showmanship of the third act make me almost want to recommend it. Almost.
Two Stars (out of four)