Flight (2012)

Flight rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb7.3/10· 395K votes

Rotten Tomatoes77%

Metacritic76%

TMDb6.861/10· 6K votes

With 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7.3/10 on IMDb and 76/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been positive.

About Flight

Commercial airline pilot Whip Whitaker has a problem with drugs and alcohol, though so far he's managed to complete his flights safely. His luck runs out when a disastrous mechanical malfunction sends his plane hurtling toward the ground. Whip pulls off a miraculous crash-landing that results in only six lives lost. Shaken to the core, Whip vows to get sober -- but when the crash investigation exposes his addiction, he finds himself in an even worse situation.

Cast of Flight

• 

  Denzel Washington

  as Whip Whitaker

• 

  Don Cheadle

  as Hugh Lang

• 

  Kelly Reilly

  as Nicole

• 

  John Goodman

  as Harling Mays

• 

  Bruce Greenwood

  as Charlie Anderson

• 

  Brian Geraghty

  as Ken Evans

• 

  Tamara Tunie

  as Margaret Thomason

• 

  Nadine Velazquez

  as Katerina Marquez

• 

  Peter Gerety

  as Avington Carr

• 

  Garcelle Beauvais

  as Deana

• 

  Melissa Leo

  as Ellen Block

• C

  Carter Cabassa

  as Son on Plane

Flight facts

Budget

$31M

Box office

$161.8M

Our take on Flight

Robert Zemeckis's drama centers on Whip Whitaker, a commercial airline pilot whose talent masks a serious problem with drugs and alcohol. When a catastrophic mechanical failure sends his plane plunging, he pulls off a near-miraculous crash-landing that saves most aboard, but the ensuing investigation drags his addiction into the light and turns him from hero into suspect. It's a sober, character-driven study of denial, self-destruction and the hard road toward accountability, anchored by intense adult drama rather than action. Best for viewers who appreciate serious performances and stories about flawed people confronting themselves; the addiction themes make it heavy going for some, but rewarding for those wanting substance over spectacle.