Flight Risk is a 2025 American action thriller—not a documentary. Directed by Mel Gibson and released by Lionsgate, it stars Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, and Topher Grace in a tightly contained story about an air marshal, a fugitive witness, and a suspicious pilot crossing the Alaskan wilderness.
The title is easy to confuse with Flight/Risk, the 2022 documentary about the Boeing 737 MAX crashes. The slash matters: these are entirely different productions.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
![Flight Risk - BLURAY, Digital, 4K ULTRA HD [4K UHD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Fl-yIeXXL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Flight Risk - BLURAY, Digital, 4K ULTRA HD [4K UHD] | $23.20 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Flight Risk - BLURAY, Digital, 4K ULTRA HD | $27.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![Flight Risk [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51vSrSr9ZHL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Flight Risk [Blu-ray] | $12.86 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Flight Risk (4K Ultra HD) (+ Blu-ray) [4K UHD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Ed+eTAPDL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Flight Risk (4K Ultra HD) (+ Blu-ray) [4K UHD] | $35.50 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Flight Risk Blu-ray | Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery | Region Free | $30.40 | Buy on Amazon |
What is Flight Risk about?
Federal Air Marshal Madolyn Harris is tasked with escorting Winston, a fugitive witness, through Alaska. The journey takes place aboard a small aircraft piloted by Daryl, whose behavior gradually raises questions about his identity and motives.
That confined setup gives the film its central pressure point: three people are isolated in the air, the landscape below offers little immediate help, and trust becomes as important as control of the aircraft. As the passengers investigate one another, they discover that the flight contains more deception than initially expected.
#1 Best Overall
- An Air Marshal transporting a fugitive across the Alaskan wilderness via a small plane finds herself trapped when she suspects their pilot is not who he says he is.
The official tagline, “Y’all need a pilot?”, captures the film’s deliberately pulpy approach to the premise. It is primarily an airplane thriller, with action, crime, drama, and suspense elements rather than a factual account of aviation or law enforcement.
Cast and characters
| Actor | Character | Role in the story |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Wahlberg | Daryl | The pilot whose trustworthiness comes under scrutiny |
| Michelle Dockery | Madolyn Harris | A federal air marshal escorting the witness |
| Topher Grace | Winston | A fugitive witness being transported through Alaska |
| Leah Remini | Caroline Van Sant | A supporting character connected to the operation |
| Paul Ben-Victor | Director Coleridge | A supporting authority figure |
| Maaz Ali | Hassan | A supporting character |
Who directed Flight Risk?
Mel Gibson directed the film from a screenplay by Jared Rosenberg. Rosenberg’s script appeared on the 2020 Black List, an annual industry survey recognizing well-liked unproduced screenplays.
The producers were John Davis, John Fox, Bruce Davey, and Mel Gibson. The production companies were Davis Entertainment, Icon Productions, Media Capital Technologies, Hammerstone Studios, and Blue Rider Media. Lionsgate distributed the film.
Rank #2
- An Air Marshal transporting a fugitive across the Alaskan wilderness via a small plane finds herself trapped when she suspects their pilot is not who he says he is.
Release date, runtime, and rating
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| U.S. theatrical release | January 24, 2025 |
| Some international releases | Beginning January 22, 2025 |
| U.S. digital release | February 14, 2025 |
| 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD | April 1, 2025 |
| Runtime | Approximately 91 minutes |
| Language | English |
| MPA rating | R for violence and language |
| Genres | Action, crime, drama, thriller |
Although some databases retain 2024 as a catalog or production year, the U.S. theatrical release was in 2025. The film runs for about an hour and 30 minutes, not two hours.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Is Flight Risk a documentary?
No. Flight Risk is a fictional narrative feature performed by actors. It should not be listed as a documentary about aviation, Boeing, or the 737 MAX.
The documentary with the similar title is Flight/Risk, released in 2022. That film examines the Boeing 737 MAX crashes. Searching for “Flight Risk documentary” can therefore produce mixed results, especially when databases omit punctuation or use alternate catalog titles.
Rank #3
- film, movie, bluray, UHD, DVD, 4K
Reception and box office
As of August 9, 2026, the film had a 28% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes from 130 reviews, alongside a 62% verified audience score from more than 1,000 ratings. Metacritic listed a critics’ score of 38 out of 100 from 28 critics and a user score of 4.4 out of 10 from 110 ratings.
The overall critical response was broadly negative. Some reviewers treated the movie as campy, pulpy entertainment, while the published Rotten Tomatoes consensus described it as high-octane but tonally uncontrolled.
Recommended Free Tools
Flight Risk earned $29,783,527 in the United States and Canada and $18,918,460 internationally, for a reported worldwide total of $48,701,987. Its U.S. opening weekend brought in $11,583,488.
Rank #4
Where to watch it in the United States
Current listings show Flight Risk available with a subscription on HBO Max. It is also listed for rental or purchase through Fandango at Home. Streaming and digital-rental rights can change by territory, so availability may differ outside the United States or after a platform updates its catalog.
Flight Risk vs. Flight/Risk
| Flight Risk | Flight/Risk | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Fiction feature film | Documentary |
| Release | 2025 | 2022 |
| Director or subject | Directed by Mel Gibson | Examines the Boeing 737 MAX crashes |
| Main subject | An unstable flight carrying an air marshal and witness | A real-world aviation disaster and its consequences |
| Starring | Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, Topher Grace | Documentary participants and real-world reporting |
If you are looking for a documentary about Boeing, search for the slash title, Flight/Risk. If you want the Mark Wahlberg thriller, use Flight Risk and the 2025 release year.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.FAQ
Is Flight Risk a documentary?
No. Flight Risk is a fictional 2025 action thriller directed by Mel Gibson. The similarly titled documentary about the Boeing 737 MAX crashes is Flight/Risk, released in 2022.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Best Value
- Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, Topher Grace, Mel Gibson
Who stars in Flight Risk?
Mark Wahlberg plays the pilot Daryl, Michelle Dockery plays federal air marshal Madolyn Harris, and Topher Grace plays fugitive witness Winston. Leah Remini, Paul Ben-Victor, and Maaz Ali also appear.
When was Flight Risk released?
It opened in U.S. theaters on January 24, 2025. Its U.S. digital release followed on February 14, 2025, and the 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD release arrived on April 1, 2025.
Where can I watch Flight Risk?
U.S. listings show it available to stream with a subscription on HBO Max and available to rent or buy through Fandango at Home. Availability can change by region and platform.
The Bottom Line
Flight Risk is a short, fictional airplane thriller built around a suspicious pilot, a federal air marshal, and a fugitive witness. It is not the Boeing documentary Flight/Risk; the punctuation and release year distinguish the two titles.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
