Everyone who has ever taken an airplane somewhere knows how boring flying can get. That’s why I decided to make this post and introduce you to my favourite movies. Let’s get right to it! Here are 10 movies you could watch on an airplane in order to make the flight more enjoyable.
Note: in no way, shape or form am I saying these are the best movies ever. Nor am I saying these are the only movies you should watch on an airplane. I just think this list lends itself perfectly for passing some time while you’re flying to your next perfectly planned holiday.
The films I watch are mostly a mix of crime, drama, adventure and a little bit of sci-fi and mystery (or sometimes even a lot of mystery). I realize this is a very diverse set of genres, but I guess I have a very diverse taste, in that case.
I’ll add links to the IMDb page of every movie I list, so that you can look further and decide for yourself which movies you want to watch. I chose IMDb because I feel like that’s the most extensive website where you can find useful information about both films and tv shows. The website’s design is also intuitive and sleek.
Without any further ado, let’s take off! (wink)
Honourable mentions
- Inception (2010)
- Requiem For A Dream (2000)
- Interstellar (2014)
- Forrest Gump (1994)
- Cicade de Deus (2002)
- Se7en (1995)
- American History X (1998)
- Whiplash (2014)
10. Now You See Me (2013)
For starters, this movie has a crazy cast. Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine among others star in it. If that’s not reason enough for you to watch it, there’s more. Now You See Me is about four illusionists pulling off crazy heists during their live performances and officials trying to figure out how they did it. It also has a sequel, but I feel like the original is a lot better because the concept was new.
9. The Game (1997)
This movie’s most impressive actors are Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. Douglas’ character, Nicholas Van Orton, is a rich banker. His brother gives him a real-life experience as a birthday present but it doesn’t really go as he had planned. I won’t spoil the rest of the movie for you, but the story line of this movie really is superb.
You might be discouraged by the fact that it came out before Y2K, but let me tell you something. Some of history’s best movies came out a very long time ago. In contemporary cinema, there is not a lot that can excel these classics. The Game is one of those classics.
8. Predestination (2014)
Predestination is one of the most mind-boggling films I have ever seen. Even after seeing it about three times, there’s still parts of it that blow me away. Again, I won’t spoil anything, because then there’s not really a point in even watching it. But I will say that this is definitely a movie you won’t soon forget.
The story involves incredible performances by Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook and Noah Taylor, tracking criminals, time travelling, a very odd love story and a few identity crises. If these are things you’re interested in and you haven’t seen this movie, you should definitely watch it.
7. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Another movie with a great cast that includes Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood and Mark Ruffalo. In ESOTSM, Carrey and Winslet play a couple that split up. In order to forget about each other, they decide to undergo a procedure to erase their memories, and they soon find out that that wasn’t the best idea.
This movie won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, which should tell you a lot about how good the story actually is. Furthermore, seeing Jim Carrey act in a role that’s nothing like Ace Ventura or Dumb & Dumber is quite fascinating.
6. Shutter Island (2010)
Another great storyline with impeccable acting and an impressive cast. Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo and Ben Kingsley all give their best. This movie, released in 2010, tells a story about a U.S. Marshal in the 1950. He is sent out to investigate how a woman charged with murder was able to escape from a Guantanamo Bay-like prison for the clinically and criminally insane.
Being a big fan of Leo’s works, I feel like this is one of his best acting efforts. You’ll have to watch Shutter Island to find out why that is, but I can only tell you that you will not regret it. (Also, Martin Scorsese directed it!)
5. La La Land (2016)
After holding the Academy Award for Best Picture for about one minute, the cast and crew of La La Land had to give it up for Moonlight. Beside this unfortunate mix-up, I really cannot find anything wrong with this movie. It was probably one of the most anticipated movies in recent history, which only added to the experience of actually seeing it.
The impressive cast included Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone giving their best in a way we’ve never seen them before. Moreover, it included a minor role for J. K. Simmons, also known from Whiplash (another one of my favourite music-related movies and coincidentally also directed by Damien Chazelle).
You really don’t need to know more than the fact that this movie is about love. Love for jazz, love for other people, love for culture and love for the acting efforts of Gosling and Stone. Go watch it. No, seriously.
4. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
In spite of being ranked #1 on the list of top rated movies on IMDb, The Shawshank Redemption did not win any Academy Awards. Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman and director Frank Darabont managed to transform Stephen King‘s short story into a magnificent piece of classic cinema, though.
The story is about Andy Dufresne, who is wrongfully locked up in Shawshank Prison for murdering his wife and her lover. There, he develops a friendship with Red and his partners and they go through a lot of things.
In essence, The Shawshank Redemption is a prison movie, but it’s unlike any prison movie you’ve ever seen. Even though it’s now praised all around, it originally didn’t even make enough money to cover production costs. Nowadays, it’s one of the biggest cult movies ever made. And it has good reason to be.
3. 12 Angry Men (1957)
Yes, 1957. Now, before you say this is something you would never watch, listen up. I thought the same thing. I used to think the only good movies were the ones that came out after 2005. That was until I gave 12 Angry Men a chance. You should do so too, and here’s why.
It’s ranked #5 on IMDb’s top rated movies. The whole story goes on in one room (except a couple of minutes), and still manages to be enthralling through its exciting dialogue. It’s in black and white, but there are so many shades of grey – a lot more than 50. It’s a movie not a lot of casual watchers know, so you can impress your friends with it.
Are those enough reasons? If not, the story itself might convince you. A young man has been put on death row and 12 jurors have to decide whether he’s guilty or not. All the jurors seem to agree and it seems like the process will be over quickly. But one of the jurors is not so sure. This is the story of that juror’s train of thought.
2. Fight Club (1999)
Let’s get over the basics quickly, because really, everybody knows this movie. Even though nobody’s supposed to talk about it. IMDb top rated movies #10. Major roles for Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, and a minor role for Helena Bonham Carter. 1 Academy Award nomination. Initially didn’t make enough to cover production costs, but grew out to be one of the biggest cult classics ever made.
Here’s the story: an office worker suffering from insomnia is trying to find a way to change his life. On his path to doing so, he meets a soap maker who seems dedicated to making his new friend’s goal come true. They start an underground fight club that eventually grows out to become something neither of them could ever have imagined.
1. The Prestige (2006)
And finally, my personal favourite movie ever made (so far): The Prestige. Let me try to convince you to watch and love it as well.
Once more, the cast is nothing short of impressive. Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johanson and Michael Caine all made this movie what it is. Even David Bowie has a role in it. The Prestige was directed by Christopher Nolan, one of the most critically acclaimed directors around the world. (You might know him from Memento, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Man of Steel or Interstellar)
Well, there you go! That was my list of favourite movies to pass some time with. I can honestly say I would watch these movies every time I get the opportunity to, and so should you. If there is anything you would change about this list, feel free to let me know down below!
-S
