Lionsgate's 'Plane,' starring Gerard Butler, offers a refreshing return to mid-budget, character-driven action thrillers reminiscent of 1980s and 1990s cinema. Directed by Jean-François Richet, the film follows pilot Brodie Torrance (Butler) who must protect passengers after an emergency landing on a hostile island. With a modest $25 million budget, the movie earned $75 million worldwide, proving that lean, star-powered thrillers can still succeed. Now streaming on Prime Video, 'Plane' stands out for its tight pacing, practical action, and straightforward storytelling, making it a standout in today's franchise-dominated landscape.
Hollywood has drifted too far away from the steady mid-budget adult movies that dominated the '80s and '90s. From legal dramas to high-octane thrillers, the entire industry seemed to know how to create a lasting hit with a couple of dependable stars and a decent budget.
In the days of cinematic universes and billion-dollar sequels, there haven't been many of those action or drama classics to go around, especially ones that actually hit theaters and make some decent money. The action genre has thankfully had John Wick to lead it, but few other modern action films have been able to stand out in the same kind of ways as the thrillers of old.
Fortunately, Lionsgate released one such movie just a couple years ago, and it is already aging like fine wine. With great action, an easy script, and a lead in Gerard Butler who always understands the assignment, Plane is shaping up to be one of the best (and most rewatchable) action flicks of the entire decade.
'Plane' Is an Easy Choice on Prime Video Plane, directed by Jean-François Richet, is a breezy 102-minute action-thriller about a pilot who has to protect the passengers of his aircraft after making an emergency landing onto a war-torn island. When several passengers are taken hostage, he turns to an accused murderer (Mike Colter) that was being transported by the FBI on his flight. It's a simple concept without any frills, allowing the action set pieces to take center stage.
The film recently made its way to the Prime Video streaming lineup in the United States, and it already stands out as one of the genre's finest on the service. The streamer's original hits have leaned heavily into the realm of action, with shows like Reacher and Jack Ryan representing some of its biggest titles.
Those successes show that the fanbase for action is thriving on Prime, and Plane will easily scratch the same itch on the movie side of things.
'Plane' Was a Bigger Hit Than You Realized When released in theaters back in January 2023, Plane took in about $75 million at the box office. That doesn't sound like much when compared to some of the massive theatrical showings these days, but it's less about the total and more about how that number compares to its production budget.
A lot of major movies nowadays have budgets pushing into the hundreds of millions of dollars, which means that a massive haul at the box office are required for those movies to be even remotely profitable. Plane threw it back to the reliable methods of old, utilizing a production budget of just $25 million.
With a price tag that cheap (by modern Hollywood standards), and a reliably bankable star like Butler in the lead role, it would've been difficult for Plane to lose money. With the freedom of a low budget and knowing Butler would be enough of a draw to get butts in seats, Plane was able to focus more on the production itself than anything else.
This helped to keep the action explosive and the narrative tight, combining for an absolutely breezy thriller experience. Here's to hoping that the success Plane found at the box office will lead to more movies just like it
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