By George & Josh Bate
Are we in the middle of a Josh Hartnett renaissance? A Joshaissance, perhaps? Or a Hartnettaissance? After a rise to stardom in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Josh Hartnett had a period of time out of the spotlight before making a resurgence with roles in Oppenheimer, Trap, Black Mirror, and The Bear. The greatly underrated former teen idol continues this resurgence in the frenetic, engaging, and messy action film Fight or Flight.
Marking the feature directorial debut of James Madigan, Fight or Flight stars Josh Hartnett as Lucas Reyes, a former Secret Service living in exile in Bangkok. Reyes’ quiet life of drinking in Thai bars and sleeping in a songthaew is uprooted when his former acquaintance Brunt (Katee Sackhoff) approaches him with a mission and a chance to return home. Reyes is to identify and apprehend a high-value asset known only as The Ghost, who is fleeing Bangkok aboard a flight to San Francisco. Little does Reyes know that he is far from the only person after The Ghost as he soon finds himself on a plane full of competing assassins.
Fight or Flight bolsters a terrific premise, which can be boiled down to John Wick on an airplane. There are certainly plot elements also borrowed from the Liam Neeson action movie Non-Stop, while a flavor of Die Hard resonates throughout. It is a throwback to 90s action movies in the best possible way, with over-the-top violence, quirky humor, and at times questionable screenwriting.
The film starts strong as Sackhoff’s Brunt recruits Hartnett’s Reyes for the mission to apprehend The Ghost. Reyes is introduced as a drunk, down-on-his-luck and reeling from a mysterious dismissal several years ago. Sporting bleached blond hair and perpetually ill-fitting clothes, Hartnett immediately transforms Reyes into a compelling character and the last person one would think could be capable of executing such a mission. Much as John Wick is a vehicle for Keanu Reeves’ action movie hero to thrive, the same can be said for Josh Hartnett in Fight or Flight. Hartnett has starred in action films before but never one as crowd-pleasing and over-the-top as this. There are shades of John McClane, Indiana Jones, Travis Bickle, and Cool Hand Luke in his Reyes, and Hartnett welcomes this new role with open arms, delivering a commanding, physical, and at times hilarious performance that carries the film through increasing mundanity.
Before becoming a full-fledged action film, Fight or Flight begins as a mystery. Which passenger on this massive international flight is actually The Ghost? It’s an intriguing set-up, although unfortunately one that resolves far too early in the film. Rather than letting the mystery develop and following Reyes as he investigates, the identity of The Ghost is prematurely revealed, squandering the film’s most intriguing element. From then on, Fight or Flight unfolds as a relentless and violent romp.
The action comes alive through magnetic directing from Madigan and cinematography from Matthew Flannery, who previously helmed The Raid films. Being set almost entirely on a plane means that firearms are out of the question for much of the movie, leaving the team to work with hand-to-hand combat (and all sorts of objects in the environment for assistance). The combat is purposefully heightened, although never to the point of feeling unrealistic and taking one out of the movie. At times, the camera work feels a little like Leigh Whannel’s Upgrade, while the combat itself has the energy and vibrance of recent action films like Novocaine and Road House. Viewers watching Fight or Flight purely for the action will not come away disappointed as the film features one crazy action set-piece after another before culminating in one of the more extreme action movie finales we’ve seen.
Unfortunately, accompanying the effective action is messy plotting that becomes increasingly messy as the film progresses. Attempts at including all sorts of twists and turns are made, and yet none really land. Instead, they make the movie more and more convoluted, never to the point of rendering it unfollowable but certainly to a point that it detracts from the raw entertainment value from an otherwise engaging action flick. By the time the film comes to an end, it feels like a while since the intriguing beginning set everything up so effectively with every twist and plot explanation muddying the proceedings.
Also by the end, Fight or Flight attempts (and fails) to connect on an emotional level. Seeds are certainly planted early on to make the journey of Hartnett’s character heartfelt, but the route the film takes to evoke emotion feels misguided. The attempts at emotionality don’t quite come from Hartnett, but, rather, the plot surrounding The Ghost, which falls disappointingly flat.
Similarly falling flat is the performance from Charithra Chandran, known for her work on the second season of Bridgerton. Chandran plays a key role in Fight or Flight that positions her side-by-side with Hartnett for much of the film. In part due to her proximity to a far more compelling and engaging character and performance, Chandran never quite fits into the movie and delivers a forced performance. There is a startling lack of chemistry between Hartnett and Chandran, with the latter doing little to justify her sizable screen time in the film. As evidenced by her work on Bridgerton, Alex Rider, and How to Date Billy Walsh, Chandran is a talented actor but finds herself miscast here.
VERDICT: 7/10
Effectively described as John Wick on an airplane, Fight or Flight gives Josh Hartnett yet another win in his mid-career resurgence. The actor delivers a commanding and hilarious performance that has shades of John McClane, Indiana Jones, Travis Bickle, and Cool Hand Luke and turns his Lucas Reyes into an action hero we could see lead a franchise of his own. The phenomenal premise, which admittedly borrows heavily from John Wick and the Liam Neeson action film Non-Stop, sets the stage for a compelling mystery thriller, although the mystery resolves far too early into the film. The subsequent film is occupied by relentless, frenetic action, wonderfully realized by director James Madigan and cinematographer Matthew Flannery, who leans on his work from The Raid films. Before culminating in one of the crazier action movie finales we’ve ever seen, Fight or Flight unfortunately stumbles with increasingly messy and jumbled plotting. Twists, turns, and explanations intended to intrigue instead fall flat, as do attempts to connect on a more emotional level. Similarly disappointing is the performance of Charithra Chandran, who feels miscast and whose prominence in the film is never justified. Those seeking a thrilling action movie with a compelling new hero will come away overjoyed with Fight or Flight, especially if one can overlook messy plotting that overcomplicates proceedings. From Oppenheimer to Trap to Fight or Flight, Josh Hartnett proves that his career resurgence continues to thrive and shows that this former teen idol is a far more versatile actor than once thought.