Josh Hartnett’s Wild Ride in ‘Fight or Flight’: Cult Classic in the Making?

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As a passionate movie enthusiast, I can’t help but be drawn to the raw, rebellious spirit of “Fight or Flight“. It’s the kind of film that, with its knowingly outrageous nature, could easily become a midnight cult classic, played to cheering, rowdy crowds.

If that happens, I won’t be the least bit surprised.

Currently, we find ourselves in the midst of an endurance test disguised as entertainment, which relentlessly bombards viewers with an overabundance. Remarkably, it bears a striking resemblance to a recently released blockbuster film (details forthcoming).

In the storyline, Josh Hartnett plays Lucas Reyes, a hired gun, who receives a mission from his tough superior (Katee Sackhoff). This task involves hopping on a plane filled with lethal individuals. His objective is to infiltrate a mysterious figure, code-named The Ghost, who is highly valued and elusive.

Once aboard, Lucas immediately exchanges blows with one passenger after another.

In “Thunderbolts,” the innovative fight scenes and relentless violence caught my attention. However, I found myself growing tired of the repetitive Krav Maga fights, which seem to blend together in this film that’s currently America’s top choice at the box office. It became clear early on that these battles often lack depth, consisting mostly of a few back-and-forth blows, someone being tossed over an opponent’s shoulder and onto the ground, only to get up again for more of the same.

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Fight or Flight” delivers some intense fight scenes that are pretty gruesome, even if the plot twists and turns seem almost too absurd to believe (for instance, a chainsaw conveniently hidden on the plane and frequently featured). Compared to “Bullet Train” released in 2022, this movie has a more appealing storyline for me.

What’s the reason behind this? Shorter duration, reduced unnecessary setting development, and a knack for knowing when to conclude effectively.

Furthermore, while “Bullet Train” offers indistinguishable CGI chaos, “Fight or Flight” offers an utterly insane third act where Hartnett and the movie itself reach such extreme heights of absurdity that I was captivated by their boldness and carefree comedic spirit that propels the thrilling finale.

In the film “Trap” (2024) by M. Night Shyamalan, Hartnett delivered a remarkable and restrained portrayal as an unusual character. Despite sporting a questionable blonde hairdo, he proved more than capable of meeting the physical demands of the role. This was yet another instance where his dedication to bring life to bizarre material truly shone.

In her character as Reyes’ supervisor, Sackoff delivers her best efforts, even though the role itself is rather commonplace. On the other hand, it’s evident that the entire cast put in a great deal of effort to perfect the demanding and emotional dance sequences.

I pondered if the film could capture my interest, given that it started with a scene that left me feeling disengaged. The initial shot is a slow-motion depiction of disorder breaking out on an airplane, with passengers physically attacking each other. This visual was strikingly similar to Paul Greengrass’ “United 93” (2006).

I didn’t intend to spoil things, but the brief moment when that film brought to mind Greengrass’ movie was thankfully fleeting.

Currently, I’m hesitant about suggesting “Fight or Flight” due to its modest objectives being exceeded, or praising it for primarily excelling at continuously presenting a series of intense fight scenes without much else to accomplish. If this movie can be considered the B-movie equivalent of “Bullet Train,” then it’s quite impressive for what it sets out to do.

It’s still a B-movie version of “Bullet Train.”

As a cinephile, I find it fascinating that John Hartnett’s chilling fight against Alaskan vampires in “30 Days of Night” seems more like an art film experience when compared to his current acting endeavors.

Hartnett’s dedication to this eccentric content, coupled with the third act’s “Evil Dead”-esque performance style, nearly convinces me to endorse it. Nearly, but not quite.

Two Stars (out of four)

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2025-05-08 17:03