Air travel can be harrowing. It’s even more of a challenge when your plane is full of professional killers bent on ending your journey before you reach the ground.

That’s the set-up, in part, for Fight or Flight, a new action film that opens Friday. It focuses on a down-on-his-luck agent offered a chance at redemption if only he can find a person of interest and bring them safely to his superiors in San Francisco. It sounds simple enough, but it turns out to be anything but simple.

The film centers on Lucas (Josh Hartnett) who is given this task by Katherine (Katee Sackhoff). It’s supposed to be a simple mission. But once seated on a long, trans-Pacific flight, it turns out the plane is full of killers. Worse yet, they’ve been given Lucas’ picture. That quickly makes him a target.

He dispatches some attackers and manages to locate his target. She (Charithra Chandran) is posing as a member of the flight crew. Lucas tries to keep the flight on schedule and keep her safe and anonymous. But when her identity is uncovered, it leaves them little choice but to turn the plane into an arena of battle.

This film comes from producers who previously worked on the John Wick franchise. In fact, most of the producers, writers, and director all have experience with action films. It’s clear this is meant to be a good old-fashioned brawl in mid-air.

We’ve seen a similar set up before. Bullet Train from the summer of 2023 featured a similar set up that took place aboard a moving train. You have a hero, a mission, and a confined space packed with violent obstacles. Here, we have to see if our hero can survive and get on the ground safely.

Hartnett makes for a solid lead here. We’ve seen him do a variety of roles over the past few years from serious Oscar bait to an M. Night Shymalan thriller. Here, he does a nice job in the lead role as something of an action star. He fits the part and the action well and is fun as our focal character.

The plot, such as it is, doesn’t try too hard. There’s a set-up, some double-crosses, and plenty of lead-ins to action sequences. We also end in a place where it’s possible to see a future franchise, but that will likely depend on audience reaction.

This film and its execution reminded me of Havoc, the Tom Hardy-led action film that debuted two weeks ago on Netflix. It was nearly a constant stream of fights for our hero. That’s the case here, though the set up seems to work a little better. Still, your enjoyment of this film will likely hinge on how you feel about these action sequences. And some of them—the third act in particular—are over-the top. If that’s your jam, this will likely be a thrilling trip to the theater.

Fight or Flight opens nationwide on Friday, May 9.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.