‘Flight Risk’ Receives Lukewarm Reviews as Mel Gibson’s Modest Thriller Hits Theaters

Critics describe the low-budget aerial thriller, starring Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Dockery, as formulaic and lacking depth, with some redeeming performances.

‘Flight Risk,’ directed by Mel Gibson, is a $25 million low-budget thriller set primarily on a small prop plane and features a simple, predictable plot.
The film stars Michelle Dockery as a U.S. Marshal, Topher Grace as a mob accountant, and Mark Wahlberg as a deranged assassin posing as a pilot.
Critics noted that the film lacks originality, with its premise and execution drawing comparisons to straight-to-DVD action movies and TV dramas.
Michelle Dockery’s performance as a capable and determined protagonist has been praised, while Wahlberg’s portrayal of the villain was seen as over-the-top and unconvincing.
Reviewers described the film as serviceable but insubstantial, with little tension or stylistic flair, and noted Gibson’s restrained approach to avoid controversial themes.