5 movies about airplanes for fans of high flights

Movies set on an airplane or at an airport have a unique quality. They make romantic comedies more romantic, action movies more exciting, and dramas more heartbreaking, all thanks to the fact that they take place at 36,000 feet.

We've selected 5 movies that feature air travel and interesting adventures that take place on an airplane. Who knows, maybe you'll be inspired to have a travel-themed movie night tonight," Travel+Leisure writes.

"Flight"

Denzel Washington plays the role of an alcoholic pilot who manages to avoid a plane crash with the help of rather complicated maneuvers that contradict the laws of physics. Although he is praised for saving so many lives (only a few people died in the crash), the investigation forces him and everyone around him to question his judgment and actions.

The reaction to Washington's performance was somewhat mixed at the time, but this movie is everything you want to see in a Robert Zemeckis film: an ambiguous protagonist seeking redemption, intense action, and heartbreaking revelations.

"Sully"

The incredible story of US Airways pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger will easily go down in the history books, and of course we all want to see Tom Hanks bring it to the big screen. Although Sullenberger was heralded as a hero after he made an emergency landing on the Hudson River without a single casualty, this film is actually a fairly detailed portrait of the pilot that neither glorifies nor condemns him for the circumstances surrounding that fateful event.

"Red Eye"

Wes Craven's gripping in-flight thriller is definitely one of the best (and most underrated) plane crash thrillers ever made. In it, Rachel McAdams plays a woman who is kidnapped by a stranger (Cillian Murphy) and drawn into a murder plot aboard a night flight.

It's one of those highly psychological horror films that creates the right amount of tension and never lets up. It may not be the most realistic movie, but it's certainly interesting.

"Airport"

This 1970 classic may be one of the first movies about airplane crashes. It starred Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, and Jacqueline Bisset, and centers on flight and ground crews figuring out how to land a plane safely after a bomb explodes on it. It's a bit of an old-fashioned movie that can be a bit corny at times, but it's definitely worth watching for aviation fans.

"Blood Red Sky"

"Blood Red Sky" is a horror movie set in the sky that is perfect for those looking for thrills. A woman (played by German actress Peri Baumeister) suffering from a mysterious illness is on a transatlantic flight with her son when the plane is overtaken by terrorists. However, instead of the usual plot of a plane hijacking, the movie quickly turns into a horror movie as Baumeister reveals her monstrous side to save her son's life.