Starring Denzel Washington and directed by Robert Zemeckis, Flight is a remarkable and captivating 2012 drama. Washington stars as an alcoholic airline pilot who remarkably saves his passenger plane during a midair disaster. When an investigation into the cause of the crash begins, he must face his own demons.
The movie is a fascinating character study of a man struggling with addiction and his own responsibilities. Washington gives one of his best performances while Zemeckis expertly directs the film, including the unforgettable crash sequence. If you're a fan of Flight, here are some other great movies worth checking out.
Shame
Shame is a drama from filmmaker Steve McQueen and starring Michael Fassbender. Like Flight, it deals with a man's struggle to prevent addiction from overtaking his entire life; however, in this case, it is sex addiction.
Fassbender gives a stellar performance as a man whose life seems perfect from the outside but who secretly struggles with his compulsions. It is not always a pleasant movie to watch, but it is a compelling examination of a kind of addiction that doesn't always get an honest representation in films.
Sully
When Flight came out, many people pointed to the crash as bearing some similarity to a real-life incident knows as "the Miracle on the Hudson". Sully is Clint Eastwood's drama which depicts that incredible real-life event while looking at the impact it had on the hero "Sully" Sullenberger (Tom Hanks).
Though we all know how the event unfolded, Eastwood recreates the miracle crash in a jaw-dropping sequence that shows just how amazing of a feat this was. The rest of the film is held together by Hanks as a man thrust into the spotlight and questioned about his actions.
The Grey
Like Flight, a plane crash is only the beginning of the story in The Grey. Liam Neeson stars as a wildlife hunter working at a remote research facility. When their plane back to civilization crashes, he must lead the survivors across the wintery tundra while being hunted by vicious wolves.
The Grey is a much heavier action movie than Flight, which is a straight-forward drama. However, even beyond the crash sequence, these films share a lot in common. Most notably, they focus on a hero haunted by his past and trying to overcome it in order to survive.
Smashed
As amazing as the crash sequence is in the film, the main character's battle with alcoholism is really the most compelling part of Flight. A similar story is told in a compelling yet lighter way in the indie Smashed.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as a young woman who hits rock bottom with her drinking problem. As she tries to put herself on the path of recovery, she struggles with her partner (Aaron Paul), who maintains a hard-partying lifestyle. The film is filled with humor but examines the addiction in an honest way, making it an thought-provoking journey.
Unforgiven
A Western thriller might seem like it has little to do with a modern drama like Flight, but Clint Eastwood's masterpiece might surprise you. Eastwood himself stars as a former outlaw who has settled down into a quiet existence. Now an old man, he is lured back into his old life for one last job.
Unforgiven is another story about a man filled with regret and trying to change his life for the better, only to find it harder and harder to dig himself out of that hole. Eastwood gives a great performance and is backed by an incredible cast, including Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and Richard Harris.
Captain Phillips
Flight is an interesting depiction of a hero. Washington's character is an ordinary guy with his own problems, but when he is needed, he does his job in a way that saves lives. Captain Phillips tells a similar and real-life story about an ordinary man who stepped up to save those he was responsible for.
Tom Hanks stars as the titular captain who volunteers himself to be taken prisoner by a gang of high seas pirates. Hanks gives an incredible performance that shows this man is not a typical movie hero, but a fascinating character to watch in this dangerous situation.
Fearless
Flight is much more about the aftermath of the crash than about the crash itself, and Fearless follows a similar path in its storytelling. The film stars Jeff Bridges as a man who survives a devastating plane crash and begins to see himself as invincible.
The movie is a captivating drama about life and death with a winning performance from Bridges at the center of the story. It is a fascinating story that similarly deals with how a person can change following a life event like this.
Leaving Las Vegas
The depiction of alcoholism in Flight is both riveting and frustrating as it seems like something this man is just unable to get out from under. The battle with booze is made even more harrowing in the dark drama Leaving Las Vegas, which stars Nicholas Cage as a man determined to drink himself to death during a bender on Las Vegas.
Neither the movie nor Cage pulls any punches in how it depicts alcoholism as an ugly and destructive disease. Cage is outstanding in the lead role, which won him an Oscar. Leaving Las Vegas is hard to watch but also hard to look away from.
A Star Is Born
A Star is Born is another drama that gives an honest and brutal look at alcoholism in the midst of a compelling musical drama. Bradley Cooper stars as a famous rock star who finds an amazing undiscovered talent (Lady Gaga) whom he helps to make a superstar.
The love story at the center of the film is beautiful and heartbreaking, mostly due to Cooper's character having a drinking problem that sends him in a downward spiral. Cooper plays these moments of destruction and embarrassment in such a raw way that makes the film all the more tragic.
Cast Away
Before Flight, Robert Zemeckis told another film surrounding a devastating plane crash. Tom Hanks stars in Cast Away as a dedicated FedEx employee who, after surviving a plane crash on a work trip, must survive alone on an isolated island in the middle of the ocean.
Hanks gives another incredible performance with no other actors to bounce off of for most of the movie. It is another film that explores a life-altering event and one person's struggle for survival in the aftermath.