Following the mixed reception to his leading role in the M. Night Shyamalan thriller Trap, Black Hawk Down star Josh Hartnett has recently returned to our screens in the feature directorial debut of James Madigan, Fight or Flight. Likened to David Leitch’s Bullet Train but set in the sky, Fight or Flight sees Hartnett’s mercenary Lucas Reyes as he attempts to foil the dastardly plan of an international terrorist known as “The Ghost” during the middle of an airplane flight.
When the movie first premiered on Sky Cinema on Friday, February 28, it was met with a terrific reception that eventually led to a perfect 100% critics rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. However, ahead of the movie’s long-awaited US debut on Friday, May 9, it seems that Fight or Flight has been unable to hold onto such a reputation, dropping from 100% to an 84% score as more reviews have been filed. Although the new score is still very reputable, especially considering it’s the director’s debut, a drop of 16% is never admirable for any project, especially right before its release in a new market.
Nevertheless, an 84% score is still one of Hartnett’s best, with his film career rarely boasting a score so high. In fact, just two films in his entire catalog have ever reached higher than Fight or Flight’s current score, those being 2017’s Oh Lucy! and Christopher Nolan’s Academy Award-winning biopic, Oppenheimer. Hartnett’s most recent project prior to this action flick, Trap, could only manage a 57% critic rating. Audiences did award the film an improved 64%, but whether or not Fight or Flight can match this score remains to be seen.
‘Fight or Flight’ is a Pleasant Surprise for 2025 Theatergoers

Heading into Fight or Flight, perhaps because of the less-than-imaginative premise or Hartnett’s poor recent run of films, there was very little anticipation. However, all that changed after word-of-mouth first spread and audiences were quickly made aware that the film was a strong action flick with plenty to enjoy. In Aidan Kelley’s review of the film for Collider, he awarded it a strong 7/10, citing impressive and often absurd action set pieces, Hartnett’s great lead performance, and good use of the claustrophobic setting as contributing factors to its success. After calling the film “one of the year’s most pleasant surprises,” Kelley concluded, “It may not reinvent the wheel for tightly-knit actioners, but Fight or Flight still sticks the landing for a crowd-pleasing and chaotic thrill ride.”
Fight or Flight is available in theaters on Friday, May 9. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Fight or Flight

Release Date

May 9, 2025

Runtime

102 minutes

Director

James Madigan

Producers

Basil Iwanyk, Tai Duncan, Erica Lee

Source: Rotten Tomatoes