For When You Need Something On-Theme

Planes, airports, travel chaos, etc.

• Airplane! (1980)
• The Terminal (2004)
• Catch Me If You Can (2002)
• Up in the Air (2009)
• Bridesmaids (2011)
• Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
• The Layover (2017)
• View from the Top (2003)

For When You Get a Taste of Emotional Masochism

Why are there so many plane crash movies?? 😭

• Snakes on a Plane (2006)
• Flight (2012)
• Red Eye (2005)
• Sully (2016)
• Non-Stop (2014)
• Alive (1993)
• Cast Away (2000)
• United 93 (2006)
• 7500 (2019)
• Fearless (1993)
• The Grey (2011)
• Con Air (1997)

For When You Want to Pretend You’re Flying to Another WORLD

Imagine you’re escaping to outer space

• Interstellar (2014)
• Arrival (2016)
• The Martian (2015)
• Passengers (2016)
• Ad Astra (2019)
• Contact (1997)
• Annihilation (2018)
• Moon (2009)
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

For When You Need a Mindless Guilty Pleasure Rom-Com

Fun distractions for the turbulent miles

• The Wedding Date (2005)
• Something Borrowed (2011)
• What Happens in Vegas (2008)
• The Ugly Truth (2009)
• Made of Honor (2008)
• 27 Dresses (2008)
• Just Go With It (2011)
• No Reservations (2007)
• Life as We Know It (2010)

Also See: The Ultimate Guide to RomComs from Good Bad Reviewed

For When You Need a HEAVY-THINKING Distraction

Layered movies that require hours of attention and thought, great for long flights

• Inception (2010)
• Tenet (2020)
• Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
• Memento (2000)
• The Prestige (2006)
• Gone Girl (2014)
• The Social Network (2010)
• Knives Out (2019)
• The Imitation Game (2014)
• Prisoners (2013)
• Her (2013)

For When You Need to Entertain Little Ones

Kid-friendly flicks to help keep their attention for a few minutes at least

• Finding Nemo (2003)
• Toy Story 2 (1999)
• The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
• Paddington (2014)
• Paddington 2 (2017)
• Encanto (2021)
• Sing 2 (2021)
• The Lego Movie (2014)
• Luca (2021)

For When You Don’t Mind Crying in THE MIDDLE SEAT

Recommendations for flights without a seat mate

• The Farewell (2019)
• Atonement (2007)
• Lion (2016)
• Blue Valentine (2010)
• Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
• The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
• If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
• The Green Mile (1999)
• My Girl (1991)
• Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

For When You Don’t Know What Else to Watch

Certified crowd-pleasers guaranteed to help pass the time

• Forrest Gump (1994)
• The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
• La La Land (2016)
• Back to the Future (1985)
• The Princess Bride (1987)
• The Truman Show (1998)
• Notting Hill (1999)
• Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
• The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Read this post on Substack.