Exploring the world is a dream for many people. That’s part of the reason so many of us love films and television. For a brief amount of time, we’re able to transport our minds into a new world (real or fictional), and get a taste of what’s beyond our surroundings. The relative ease of this kind of exploration may cause us to remember one potential roadblock for individuals wanting to travel in real life: a fear of flying.
When passengers board a plane, they give up so much control and the fear of the unknown is terrifying. Unfortunately, there are plenty of movies out there that don’t do anything to vanquish that fear. In fact, they make it worse. Across genres, viewers can find bone-chilling plane crash scenes that will make them never want to visit an airport again. Here are 10 plane crash movies that will give you a fear of flying if you don’t have one already.
10 Final Destination (2000)
The Final Destination movie franchise has been instilling fear of everyday events in people since 2000. The first installment in this supernatural horror series, Final Destination, is about high school senior Alex. For their senior trip, he and his classmates are headed to Paris from New York. Before he boards, Alex has a premonition that they’ll all be killed due to an explosion. He’s skeptical at first until events from his vision begin coming true. Through a series of events, he and a few students get removed from the flight, and they shortly witness the explosion that kills everyone on the plane.
Saved By a Bad Dream
Anxiety can take hold of even the most seasoned passenger. It usually subsides when they realize they were overreacting and that there was nothing to worry about. The scene in Final Destination will make people believe they weren’t stressing enough. The turn to danger is swift, and the passengers realize this is not your average turbulence. Lights malfunction, oxygen masks drop, and soon there’s a fire and a gaping hole in the airplane is sucking people out into the night. This truly is a nightmare. Rent on Apple TV
9 Non-Stop (2014)
Non-Stop is an action thriller starring Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore. Bill Marks (Neeson) is a former NYPD officer and now works as an Air Marshal. He’s a grumpy guy, struggling with an alcohol problem and hating how much flying forces him to be surrounded by other people. Perhaps his seatmate Jen (Moore) can be a distraction. However, this is not a peaceful flight across the bond. He receives a message that someone will die every 20 minutes unless they receive $150 million in their bank account.
A Classic Thriller
This entire film will make a nervous flyer opt for road trip-only destinations. Each moment is a guessing game as to who is behind the threats, and there are so many red herrings thrown in. One of the most chaotic scenes in the film is toward the end, when the pilot is trying to execute a crash landing. Not only do the passengers have to deal with what you’d expect from a plane crash scene (luggage falling out of compartments, windows/body of the plane breaking, etc.), but also gunshots from the perpetrator. It’s a classic Neeson action film; the characters are bog-standard, but it’s a good time. Stream on Prime Video
8 Executive Decision (1996)
Executive Decision brings viewers into a situation that, while rare, is among many travelers’ greatest fears. A flight departs from Athens with over 400 passengers in tow, headed to Washington D.C. On board is a lieutenant colonel who led an unsuccessful raid months prior. Little did he know, also on board is the leader of a terrorist organization and his subordinates who hijack the plane. Back in D.C., U.S. Army Intelligence Consult David Grant (played by Kurt Russell) is strategizing to rescue the innocent victims.
Never a Dulles Moment
The moment the antagonist seizes control of the plane is horrifying enough to illicit a fear of flying. The crash scene in the third act is tense and may cause viewers to cover their eyes until they know how it’ll play out. Grant has to take over flying duties and make a crash landing at Dulles International Airport. His inexperience leads him to collide with other planes on the runway and sets his plane on fire. Those with flying anxiety feel they can let out a breath once they touch the ground. Executive Decision shows that danger lurks even in the last minutes of a flight. Rent on Apple TV
7 Cast Away (2000)
Cast Away
- Release Date
- December 22, 2000
- Cast
- Paul Sanchez , Lari White , Leonid Citer , David Allen Brooks , Jelena Papovic , Valentina Ananyina
Cast Away is about an American systems analyst who has to go on an assignment in Malaysia. A storm disrupts the plane’s course and crashes in the Pacific Ocean. By all accounts, the island he ends up on is deserted. He has a life he loves back home in Tennessee, including a girlfriend he was planning to propose to. But before he can return to normal, he has to learn to survive on his own.
Life Vests On, Please
The plane crash scene is just part of the setup, most of the terror in this film takes place on the island. However, for a moment that takes up such little running time real estate, it packs a punch. Everything is normal as Chuck, the protagonist (Tom Hanks), is in the bathroom, and with a snap of a finger, he is holding on for dear life while the plane is thrashing uncontrollably. He’s not on a commercial plane, so it’s much smaller and more claustrophobic. The plane eventually nosedives into the ocean and the plane fills with water. Viewers may find themselves holding their breath while watching this scene. Stream on Paramount+
6 Alive (1993)
Alive
- Release Date
- January 15, 1993
- Cast
- Ethan Hawke , Vincent Spano , Josh Hamilton , Bruce Ramsay , John Newton
Alive is a survival film based on a real-life event, where a rugby team from Uruguay was involved in a crash that landed them in the Andes mountains. The players and their families are excited to land in Chile for an upcoming match. They are laughing, bonding, and commenting on the beautiful mountains they see outside their window, unaware that they’ll be colliding into them.
Not Quite a Winter Wonderland
The tonal shift between when they think the turbulence is simply fun bumps in the road to when they understand it’s serious is jarring, to say the least. Audiences are on the edge of their seats waiting for the first contact with the mountains, and when it happens, it’s as horrific as they’d imagine. Stray pieces get lodged into body parts and individuals are thrown out of the plane while strapped in their seats. Many plane crash movies have the survivors stranded on an island. While any scenario sucks, it’s particularly scary to imagine surviving in a frigid, snowy place. Rent on Prime Video
5 Flight (2012)
Flight
- Release Date
- November 2, 2012
Flight is a drama starring Denzel Washington. Whip Whittaker is a pilot who uses substances to help keep him awake for his job. While on a flight, he starts drinking on the job and hands over control to his co-pilot so that he can rest. It’s not a peaceful nap, though, as he’s awoken when he feels the plane falling rapidly. He performs a crash landing but is knocked unconscious. When Whip comes to, he’s badly injured, but celebrated for his quick thinking and skillful maneuvering that saved countless lives. However, when authorities start looking into the crash further, signs point to Whit not being the hero he’s been made out to be.
You Spin Me Right Round
Since pilots are mostly faceless, it’s always a question for passengers what they’re up to and how attentive they’re being. This film’s depiction of Whip will encourage flyers to presume the worst about their pilots. Not just the passengers are impacted by this, as a civilian at home witnesses the upside-down plane and yells out an expletive. This scene is a yo-yo of emotions and is followed up by a fascinating investigation into this complex protagonist. Stream on Max
4 Fearless (1993)
Fearless is a drama adapted from a novel, following a man named Max Klein. He is one of the unfortunate passengers on a plane that’s preparing to crash. While everyone is understandably upset around him, Max manages to stay calm. He even sees a young boy who is alone and sits with him throughout it all. Many of the passengers die or are gravely injured, but Max is unaffected. In fact, he has no fear of jumping on a flight back home. The film centers on Max and his new lease on life and the effect it has on those around him.
A Quieter Horror
The plane crash scene has the standard shots of the aircraft falling apart and debris flying around everywhere. Yet it’s watered down and not as gory, since filmmakers opted not to include the characters’ screams and sharp sounds. Instead, light music plays, giving it a weirdly tender twinge. The moments before everything happens are quite heartwarming, with Max comforting those around him and not letting what could be his last moments be filled with terror. This might give anxious flyers some peace. But the aftermath scene with people running around on fire or the deceased charred will bring back that fear with full force. Stream on Tubi
3 U.S. Marshals (1998)
U.S. Marshals is the sequel to the action thriller, The Fugitive. This movie revolves around Deputy Marshal Sam Gerard pursuing an escaped prisoner. Mark is arrested in Chicago for carrying an illegal firearm but is later identified as a suspect wanted for a double homicide in New York. He’s placed on a prisoner transport flight which Sam is also on. A fired-off bullet causes a hole in the plane and things take a fatal turn. When the plane lands and the survivors are accounted for, one person is notably missing: Mark.
Surrounded by Danger
While the average passenger won’t be handcuffed while on an airplane, the sheer thought of not being able to move or brace yourself in such a situation sends a chill throughout your body. Especially when they have to decide to leave some of the men bound because the aircraft is going under. Pure torture. With the crash taking place at night, with dangerous individuals present, and having guns pointed at them as they escape, this scene keeps both Sam and viewers constantly alert. Rent on Apple TV
2 World War Z (2013)
World War Z is a thrilling post-apocalyptic film based on a novel of the same name. Gerry and his family are stuck in traffic when zombies take over the city streets. They evade multiple run-ins with zombies before they’re eventually rescued. But Gerry thinks he can find the answer to stop the zombies from infecting others. Thus, he decides to use the skills he gained from working with the United Nations to travel the world and find the origin of the virus thought to be linked to the outbreak.
Fear the Flying Dead
Of all the plane crash scenes, this one is the most far-fetched. Despite its unlikeliness to happen, it won’t make taking the first step into the plane any easier. All seems well until a zombie hidden in a closet attacks a flight attendant. Gerry has to keep the passengers in his portion of the plane quiet and calm, which would be difficult under the best circumstances. When people inevitably are ejected from the plane, viewers are both glad to get the newly-turned zombies away, but also worried about how the characters we’ve gotten to know will survive this mess. Stream on Paramount+
1 The One (2022)
The One is a Russian wilderness survival film based on a true story. Larisa and Vladimir have recently married and are wholly in love. They are on a flight, and shortly before they are to land, their plane collides with another plane. The two grasp each other’s hands. but as the plane breaks into pieces, they watch as the other flies away from them. With such a destructive accident, it’s a wonder that there’s a sole survivor: Larisa. Stuck in the middle of the forest, she has to find a way to safety.
A Flyer’s Worst Nightmare
Audience’s hearts go out to any character involved in these traumatic situations, but it pulls at our heartstrings more when we see people losing their loved ones. While it’s amazing that Larisa survived, knowing that she lost her husband gives it a bittersweet feel. And if nervous travelers manage to put a degree of separation between them and the other films, the fact that this is based on a true story makes it even harder to stomach. Not Currently Available to Stream or Purchase
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
