12 Plane Movies That Prove It’s Better to Wing It

How does one define a plane movie? A plane must be involved, of course, but it goes beyond that: Could this story be set anywhere except the familiar rows of a 747? Does it echo with the lived experiences of millions of passengers worldwide? Does the film capture what it means to fly through the sky in machines that once filled us with wonder, but now have become grimy with the mundanity of modern travel? Would this movie be a movie you’d enjoy watching on an airplane?

In honor of the upcoming release of the Gerard Butler-starring Plane, we pay tribute to this hard-to-define subgenre by offering up the movies we deemed most iconic in terms of planes. Some may not feature a ton of on-plane action. Some might not be what you immediately think of as a plane movie. But they all seek to bring a taste of recirculated air and the antiquated promise of chicken or fish.

— Liz Shannon Miller

Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? While a majority of the film takes place on the ground, Dr. Strangelove effectively begins and ends with the presence of planes. In between, a good portion of the conflict surrounds the crew of fighter pilots tasked with triggering nuclear war and the Petagon’s inability to contact them.

Does a Plane Crash? There are no plane crashes in Dr. Strangelove. Though, the dropping of an atomic bomb is an equally disastrous substitute.

Do We Trust the Pilot? The pilots of Dr. Strangelove are somehow the most intelligent, well-reasoned, honorable characters in the film. Sure, their actions lead to the destruction of modern civilization, but they’re merely following protocol – and doing a damn good job at it too, if we may add.

Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? This movie might make you afraid of a lot of things – nuclear armageddon, self-destructive bureaucracy, the corruption of your precious bodily fluids – but flying won’t be one of them. Thanks largely to the distinction between commercial airlines and air force jets, you can safely watch Dr. Strangelove before your next flight without peaking your anxiety.

Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? Is it even a question? Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb comes from perhaps the film auteur, Stanley Kubrick, and stands as one of his finest, funniest films. A satire perfect for its time that retains a scary amount of relevant themes, if Dr. Strangelove doesn’t deserve first class, nothing does. — Jonah Krueger

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