Movies About Flight

Updated May 1, 2024

Multiple films have explored Movies About Flight. We assembled 18 of the best ones.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

★★★★

3.2 out of 4 stars

From Steven Spielberg, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen
Rated PG-13

Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical crime film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, based on the life of Frank Abagnale. Set in the 1960s, the film follows the story of a brilliant but careless young con artist, Frank Abagnale Jr., who successfully impersonates a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor, cashing millions of dollars in forged checks in the process. With the help of FBI agent Carl Hanratty, Frank eventually gets caught, but instead of being sentenced to prison he is offered a deal to work with the FBI to help them capture other con artists. As their relationship deepens, Frank gradually begins to understand the importance of the law and of having a stable home and family. In the end, Frank finds peace and happiness with his new-found understanding of responsibility and morality.

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

★★★★

3.2 out of 4 stars

From Directors: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders, starring Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Ferguson
Rated PG

How to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 American computer-animated action fantasy film loosely based on the 2003 book of the same name by British author Cressida Cowell. The film was directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, the writers and directors of Lilo & Stitch (2002). The story follows Hiccup, a young Viking who dreams of becoming a dragon trainer despite the general fear of dragons in his home village of Berk. After shooting down a dragon during a hunt, Hiccup befriends the injured creature and names it Toothless. The two form a bond that leads to Hiccup teaching Toothless and other dragons how to fly and fight in a series of thrilling and dangerous adventures. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning praise for its visual effects and characters. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. It spawned two sequels, How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) and How to Train Your Dragon 3 (2019).

Airplane! (1980)

★★★★

3.1 out of 4 stars

From Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, starring Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Rated PG

Airplane! is a hilarious parody of the disaster movie genre, directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker. The film follows Ted Striker (Robert Hays), a former fighter pilot who must overcome his psychological issues to land a stricken passenger jet. Along the way, he's aided by a doctor (Julie Hagerty) and a host of zany characters, including an alcoholic pilot (Peter Graves) and a singing nun (Lloyd Bridges). The film features numerous jokes and gags, some of which are delivered so quickly that the audience often needs to watch it more than once to catch them all. Airplane! is an unforgettable comedy classic and one of the most successful spoof films of all time.

The Aviator (2004)

★★★★

3 out of 4 stars

From Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly
Rated PG-13

The Aviator is a biopic directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, which tells the story of aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. The film follows Hughes from his early success as a Hollywood producer in the 1920s, to his obsessive quest to build a transcontinental passenger route, to the decline of his mental health in the 1940s. Along the way, his love for airplanes, his battles with the US Senate, and his romances with movie stars Katherine Hepburn and Ava Gardner are all explored. The film culminates in Hughes’ ultimate victory and his return to Hollywood.