Back in the late ‘90s/early 2000s, I might have been a little obsessed with Josh Hartnett. Not in an unhealthy way or anything (unless trying to defend Hollywood Homicide indicates otherwise), but let’s just say Blockbuster knew where its copy of The Faculty was. So no one has been happier to see him the past few years making a comeback with Oppenheimer in 2023, Trap last year, and now on the 2025 movie calendar, Fight or Flight.
If you’re unfamiliar with Fight or Flight, you’re not alone. I hadn’t heard much about it or even seen a trailer as it prepares to hit theaters on May 9, so imagine my surprise to see that the upcoming action flick starring Josh Hartnett and Battlestar Galactica vet Katee Sackhoff holds an 88% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
What Is Fight Or Flight About?
So what is the premise of Fight or Flight, and why is it flying under the radar? As for the second part of that question, I can’t say for sure, but the synopsis seems to describe a pretty basic action movie. Josh Harnett plays Lucas Reyes, a mercenary tasked (seemingly by Katee Sackhoff’s Katherine Brunt) with identifying and protecting a wanted criminal aboard a commercial flight.
However, upon viewing the trailer, the movie looks anything but basic. There’s comedy, bloody fight sequences and ridiculously impossible action that definitely piques my interest. Check it out for yourself:
Josh Hartnett and Bridgerton’s Charithra Chandran seem to be quite the comedic duo, and my optimism from the trailer is only bolstered by the reviews that have been published ahead of Fight or Flight’s U.S. premiere.
What Are Critics Saying About Fight Or Flight?
What constitutes a critical success in the movie theater — a good story? Big budget? Complex characters? Laughs and sobs in equal measure? I couldn’t tell you if Fight or Flight has any of those, but many critics seem to agree that one thing it does have is fun.
There’s definitely something to be said for that, too, as John Nugent of Empire gives the movie 3 out of 5 stars, calling it “joyfully silly” and saying Josh Hartnett is having a marvelous time playing a bleach-blonde drunkard. Nugent writes:
It’s refreshing and fun to see such a gonzo, go-for-broke approach with the idea, and it’s equally cheering to see Hartnett commit fully, with an enjoyably deranged performance almost on a par with his turn in last year’s Trap. … What it lacks in polish and panache it makes up for in humour, with an array of inventively amusing kills.
Nick Schager of The Daily Beast calls it “breezy and cheesy,” and when he describes it as Looney Tunes meets John Wick, Schager is quick to point out he means that as high praise. The critic writes:
An action-comedy vehicle with a pure Looney Tunes spirit that’s embodied by its leading man, whose performance as a knocked-about bada-- would earn him a standing ovation from Bugs and Daffy. Amusing, energetic, and just clever enough to sustain its brief runtime, it serves up a boisterous and bruising brand of B-movie bedlam.
Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho says Fight or Flight is an “absolute must-see.” It leans into its B-movie status and Josh Hartnett’s unhinged performance, resulting in a flick that’s a blast from start to finish. Sánchez continues:
Fight or Flight is absurdist action violence, making it a top contender for the year’s best action movie. Josh Hartnett’s electric physicality and top-notch comedic timing make every moment he’s on screen a raucous joy, and the chaos bouncing off the walls of the two-story plane is the right kind of over the top.
I’m not sure how I missed the marketing for this movie, but after seeing what critics are saying and how high its Rotten Tomatoes score is, I’m fully ready to get my Josh Hartnett action hero on. If you’re also enticed by the action comedy, Fight or Flight will be in theaters starting Friday, May 9.
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