Flight (2012)
Some miracles are not what they seem.
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.
Rent on Plex $3.99 (opens in a new tab) Buy on Prime Video $6.99 (opens in a new tab)
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 22 February 2012 |
| Genre | Drama |
| Director | Robert Zemeckis |
| Starring | Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle and Kelly Reilly |
| Runtime | 138 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 77% · Metacritic 76/100 · TMDB users 6.9/10 |
| Budget | $31 million |
Where to watch Flight
Flight is streaming on Paramount+ ($13.99 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Paramount+ is $13.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 29 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent Flight on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and Spectrum On Demand. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Flight in 5 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Austria | Netflix €10.99 |
| Canada | Paramount+ |
| Germany | Netflix €15.99 |
| Japan | Prime Video ¥600 JPY, U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Switzerland | Netflix CHF14.90 |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Robert Zemeckis directs Denzel Washington in a 138-minute drama about a pilot whose miracle landing unravels into a confession of addiction. The tagline promises that some miracles are not what they seem, and the film delivers on that specific, uncomfortable promise. It is a long, unflinching look at a man who has been lying to everyone, including himself, for years. The tension comes not from the crash, but from the quiet, terrifying process of being found out. It is a heavy watch, but a necessary one for anyone who has ever pretended to be fine.
What the critics said
Critics largely agreed on the merit. Rotten Tomatoes stands at 77% based on 239 reviews as of November 2024. Metacritic follows closely with a 76 Metascore from 40 critics. The consensus highlights Denzel Washington’s performance. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called it "nearly flawless," noting the character's harrowing journey. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter added that Washington "flies with it." Dissent came from the aviation industry. Pilots questioned the realism of a captain flying while impaired. The Air Line Pilots' Association argued the film mistook a thriller for professional reality. Accuracy, it seems, was the first casualty of the narrative.
How it did with audiences
It cost $31 million and took in $162 million. That margin makes the studio accountants smile. On TMDB, users give it a 6.9 out of 10. It is the kind of score that suggests people watched it, liked the plane, and moved on.
What came next for the cast
Don Cheadle traded Ocean’s Eleven for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Meanwhile, Denzel Washington stayed in the action lane, moving from Training Day to a string of high-octane hits like The Equalizer. John Goodman, already a legend, simply kept showing up in everything from The Hangover Part III to Kong: Skull Island. Kelly Reilly jumped from Sherlock Holmes to prestige television. The credits show a pivot, but they do not prove Flight caused it. Sometimes a movie is just a door, and the actors walk through it toward different futures.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Flight.
Read more: 21 Grams
Sources
- Flight on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q564298 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Flight (2012 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
Watch it without paying for the whole year
Binge Boss tracks the movie you are on and tells you which services you need this month, and which you can cancel.
Add Flight to your list