The Aviation Thriller Film subgenre lives within the Action, Thriller, War and Drama genres. Most Aviation Thrillers also include other subgenres such as Action Thrillers, Suspense Thrillers, Disaster Films, Films About Terrorists, and Air Warfare Films. This subgenre also features Films About Airplane Crashes, Films About Aviation Disasters and Films About Airplane Hijackings.
The Aviation Thriller Film subgenre gained in prominence in the 1970’s as Disaster Films became popular. Airport (1970), Skyjacked (1972), Airport 1975 (1974), Ransom (1974) and Airport ’77 (1977) were the most popular films of the decade featuring Airplane-related disasters. Zeppelin (1971), The Hindenburg (1975) and Black Sunday (1977) all featured Aviation Thrillers with Blimps. And Aviation Thrillers were popular at home with TV Movies such as The Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973), Murder on Flight 502 (1975) and Mayday at 40,000 Feet! (1977).
The 1980’s began with parodies of the Airport films of the 1970’s with Airplane! (1980) and Airplane II: The Sequel (1982). Aviation Thrillers also utilized different themes with Horror in Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) and Air Force recruitment during the Cold War in Top Gun (1986).
The Golden Age of Aviation Thrillers began in the 1990’s as there were many classic films of the subgenre produced during this decade. Terrorists involved with planes or airports were prominent in Die Hard 2 (1990), Flight of Black Angel (1991), Passenger 57 (1992), Executive Decision (1996) and Air Force One (1997). Turbulence (1997) and Con Air (1997) both featured convicts set loose on airplanes. And Miracle Landing (1990), Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 (1992) and Final Descent (1997) were three of the better TV Movies of the subgenre. Other classic and notable films of the subgenre included Flight of the Intruder (1991), Alive (1993), Fearless (1993), Drop Zone (1994), The Langoliers (1995), Broken Arrow (1996) and U.S. Marshals (1998).
The 2000’s would feature two films specific to the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks with Flight 93 (2006) and United 93 (2006). Horror would be a popular genre for Aviation Thrillers with Final Destination (2000), Snakes on a Plane (2006) and Flight of the Living Dead (2007). Classic films of the subgenre this decade included Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), The Aviator (2004), Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Red Eye (2005) and Flightplan (2005).
The volume and prominence of Aviation Thrillers decreased in the 2010’s but the decade still produced classic films of the subgenre with The Grey (2012), Flight (2012), Non-Stop (2014), Flight Crew (2016), and Sully (2016).
The 2020’s have only produced one Aviation Thriller so far but it’s a classic film of the subgenre with Blood Red Sky (2021).
Our list of Aviation Thriller Films includes over 64+ films from 1964 – 2021. Our list includes Films About Airplanes and Blimps and features many films from the Disaster Film subgenre that focus on aerial disasters. For our list of the Top Aviation Thriller Films You Haven’t Seen, we couldn’t include the following honorable mentions on our list: Airport (1970), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), Flight of the Intruder (1991), Flight of Black Angel (1991), Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Red Eye (2005) and Non-Stop (2014).
We have embedded a compilation video of our Top Aviation Thriller Films You Haven’t Seen and more details on these films can be found in the list below. Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
#10
Miracle Landing
Plot: Based on Aloha Airlines Flight 243 when a large section of the plane’s roof tore off mid-flight.
KBZ’s Take: Of all the TV movies about Airplane Disasters, this is one of the two best on our list. Like most Aviation Thrillers, there’s the obligatory character development in the first portion of the movie and the action is non-stop in the second half. Unique to this disaster film is how the plane continued flying with passengers exposed to the air at 24,000 feet and the incredible landing with almost all passengers and crew surviving – the only casualty being a stewardess who was swept out of the plane when the roof tore off. Highly recommended for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3VJj0mB
#9
Panic Button
Plot: Four young adults have won a trip aboard a private plane to New York unaware of what the contest will entail.
KBZ’s Take: The best way to describe this film is “A less gory version of Saw on an airplane”. This low budget effort will take quote a bit of suspension of disbelief to enjoy and after that you can enjoy the film for what it is – a somewhat suspenseful mystery thriller / survival drama on a plane. There’s also a good take on the dangers of social media and privacy in the film (and we wish that aspect was explored a bit more in the film). It’s not the best film of the subgenre, but one that you will still enjoy if you are a completist.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Uo0qQ4
Plot: Passengers on a plane wake up and realize they are the only people left on the planet.
KBZ’s Take: This is one of the better Stephen King adaptations from his novella Four Past Midnight. Unfortunately, the special effects in the film are terrible (even for 1995) and detract somewhat from the film. Once you can get past the special effects, it’s a very suspenseful sci-fi thriller as the passengers slowly realize why there’s nobody else left on earth. Highly recommended film for fans of the subgenre or fans of films based on Stephen King’s stories.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Vo4Es4
Plot: Docudrama of United Airlines Flight 232 which crashed on July 19, 1989.
KBZ’s Take: This is by far the best TV movie of an Airline Disaster and one of the best Aviation Thrillers. First, the film has an amazing cast with Charlton Heston, James Coburn, Richard Thomas, Phillip Baker Hall and Bruce McGill. Second, the film focuses solely on the pilots and crew efforts to land the plane once all hydraulics are lost. It’s a great technical depiction of how the pilots had to try and land the plane. Third, there’s a separate parallel narrative with the ground crew and how important they were to saving lives once the plane crashes. It’s a great film of the subgenre and highly recommended for fans.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XQQQrJ
Plot: Historical thriller that explores the sabotage theory for the crash of the doomed zeppelin.
KBZ’s Take: While this film has many historical beats of the Hindenburg’s final voyage, it focuses on the sabotage theory for how the Hindenburg exploded before landing. The sabotage theory is laid out well with some great performances from George C. Scott, William Atherton, Charles Durning, Anne Bancroft and Richard Dysart. Even if you don’t buy into the sabotage theory or like general Whodunnit/Detective films, the last 20 minutes of this film make it worth seeing as it re-enacts the explosion of the Hindenburg with a mix of modern and archive footage. Highly recommended for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3ivclhH
#5
Turbulence
Plot: On a plane flying convicts, a murderer breaks free and a flight attendant has to keep the flight from crashing.
KBZ’s Take: This film had the unfortunate timing of being released the same year as another ‘convicts on a plane thriller’ in Con Air (1997). While Con Air is a better film and classic film of the subgenre, Turbulence is still a decent thriller with a great performance from Ray Liotta. Though some of the situations strain credulity (like most Aviation Thrillers), it’s still a worthwhile film to watch for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3gUKjLW
#4
Airport ’77
Plot: Plane crashes in the Bermuda Triangle after a botched hijacking and surviving passengers try to survive will 200 feet underwater.
KBZ’s Take: This is our personal favorite of all the Airport disaster films released during the 1970’s. This film is also not only an Aviation Thriller but also an Aquatic Thriller. Like most of the Airport films, it has an amazing ensemble cast with Jack Lemmon, Lee Grant, Olivia de Havilland, Brenda Vaccaro, Darren McGavin, Christopher Lee and Robert Foxworth. It also has some of the most tense and suspenseful scenes both in air and underwater that are found in either subgenre. Highly recommended for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3B0dmEY
Plot: Terrorist hijack an airplane and special assault team tries to intercept the plane and hijackers.
KBZ’s Take: We realize this film has likely been seen by most fans of the subgenre as it was a very popular film on its release in 1996. However, for anybody who has not yet seen this film, it’s one of the best of the Aviation Thrillers. It has the classic Terrorist vs. Special Forces team dynamic, an implausible yet exhilarating aerial connection between planes for the special forces to board the plane, and it’s one of Kurt Russell’s lesser-known best films. Highly recommended film of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Ul72yp
Plot: Terrorist hijack a plane with a woman who uses drugs to suppress her vampiric thirst…and she’s all out of drugs.
KBZ’s Take: Now this is how you do a “Vampire loose on a plane” film. Though the flashbacks scenes bog the film down and one of the terrorists overacts a bit (you’ll know who), action and suspense abound in this latest Vampire tale. Very original and very pro-vampire.
Additional Lists: Top Films About Vampires You Haven’t Seen #2
Where to Stream / Buy: https://www.netflix.com/title/80198645
#1
Flight Crew
Plot: Crew of a Russian airliner receives a distress call from a volcanic island and attempts a rescue.
KBZ’s Take: This film has the most tense hour of straight action and suspense of any Aviation Thriller. The Russian film takes awhile to get there (with a beginning hour of melodramatic character development), but once the crew gets to the volcanic island, it’s straight up bonkers special effects and action. We can’t recall a film in the subgenre that blends amazing special effects with unique aerial disaster situations this well and we highly recommend this film for fans of the subgenre. You won’t be disappointed.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3VEOY3i
