A long-haul flight can feel endless, but the right film lineup can make the hours fly by; here are a few titles to have on hand before takeoff.
Long-haul flights can be a bore. After a few hours in the air, you’ll probably find yourself looking for anything to pass the time. Some people crack open a book, others clear countless levels of Candy Crush, while the more committed travelers take melatonin at the start of the flight and sleep through the journey. But for most of us, nothing beats settling in for a good movie. A six-hour flight can easily fit three or four movies, provided you choose wisely. So, if you’re looking to make the most of your time in the air, we’ve rounded up films worth having offline before you take off; consider your in-flight entertainment sorted.
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Knives Out
Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
If you want a movie that will actually keep you awake through the first few hours of your flight, Knives Out is a solid pick. This stylish whodunit follows famed detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) as he investigates the mysterious death of wealthy crime novelist Harlan Thrombey, with his very dysfunctional family becoming the prime suspects. It’s funny, clever, slightly chaotic, and packed with enough twists to keep you from reaching for your phone every 15 minutes.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes
For something a little more whimsical, The Grand Budapest Hotel is basically a visual treat in movie form. Wes Anderson’s 2014 comedy follows legendary hotel concierge Monsieur Gustave H. and his lobby boy, Zero, as they get caught up in a family inheritance dispute involving a priceless painting, a suspicious death, and a whole lot of running around Europe. It’s quirky, beautifully shot, fast-paced, and filled with the kind of dry humor that makes a long flight feel considerably more entertaining. At 99 minutes, it’s also an easy one to squeeze between meals, naps, and whatever terrible airplane Wi-Fi you’re trying to connect to.
Crazy Rich Asians
Runtime: 2 hours 1 minute
Sometimes, you just want something fun, romantic, and ridiculously pretty to look at while you’re 35,000 feet in the air. Enter Crazy Rich Asians. The film follows Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), only to discover that his family is wildly, almost comically wealthy—and that his mother has some very strong opinions about their relationship. Expect lavish weddings, designer clothes, family drama, gorgeous Singapore scenery, and plenty of romance. It’s an easy, feel-good watch that requires very little emotional investment, which is exactly what I want from an airplane movie.
Catch Me If You Can
Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, a glamorous 1960s setting, and a con artist constantly one step ahead of the FBI? Catch Me If You Can has all the ingredients for a very entertaining flight. Based on the story of Frank Abagnale Jr., the film follows the teenager as he successfully poses as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and lawyer while FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) tries to track him down. It has that breezy Steven Spielberg quality that makes a nearly two-and-a-half-hour movie fly by—pun intended. The travel-heavy storyline also feels particularly appropriate when you’re watching it from an airplane seat.
The Twilight Saga
Total runtime: 10 hours 7 minutes across the five theatrical films
For the ultimate long-haul commitment, just download the entire Twilight saga. All five movies—Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn: Part 1, and Breaking Dawn: Part 2—give you roughly 10 hours of vampires, werewolves, teenage angst, dramatic stares, and questionable romantic decisions. The story begins with Bella Swan moving to Forks, Washington, where she falls for mysterious vampire Edward Cullen, before getting pulled into a much bigger supernatural love triangle involving werewolf Jacob Black. Is it high art? That depends on who you ask. Is it perfect for a long-haul flight? Absolutely. You can start somewhere over the Pacific and potentially land having completed the entire saga.
The Martian
Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes
If you’re looking for something that will completely absorb you, The Martian is a great way to spend two-plus hours in the air. Matt Damon plays astronaut Mark Watney, who’s accidentally left behind on Mars after his crew presumes he died during a violent storm. With limited supplies and no easy way home, he has to rely on science, creativity, and a frankly impressive amount of potato farming to stay alive while NASA works out how to rescue him. It’s a sci-fi survival story, but the humor keeps it from feeling too heavy. There’s enough tension to keep you invested and enough wit to make it an enjoyable watch when you’re trapped in an economy seat.
About Time
Runtime: 2 hours 3 minutes
For when you want your airplane movie to make you laugh, swoon, and maybe stare out the window contemplating your entire existence, there’s About Time. Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) discovers that the men in his family can travel through time, so naturally, he uses his newfound ability to try to improve his love life and win over Mary (Rachel McAdams). What begins as a charming romantic comedy gradually becomes a much more emotional story about family, growing up, and appreciating the ordinary moments of life. It’s warm, funny, romantic, and sentimental, whether you’re on the ground or thousands of feet above it.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes
Watching a breakup comedy on a long-haul flight feels strangely appropriate. Forgetting Sarah Marshall follows Peter (Jason Segel), a devastated music composer who heads to Hawaii after his girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), dumps him. The problem? Sarah is staying at the same resort with her new boyfriend, played by Russell Brand. What follows is a messy, funny, and surprisingly sweet story about heartbreak, moving on, and finding someone better for you. It’s peak late-2000s rom-com comfort viewing, and at just under two hours, it’s an easy addition to your in-flight lineup.
Dune and Dune: Part Two
Total runtime: 5 hours 21 minutes — Dune (2 hours 35 minutes) + Dune: Part Two (2 hours 46 minutes)
If your flight is really long, go big. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films are practically made for an uninterrupted stretch of airplane time. The first film introduces Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), whose family is sent to oversee Arrakis, the desert planet that produces the galaxy’s most valuable resource: spice. After his family is betrayed, Paul is drawn into the world of the Fremen and the growing conflict over Arrakis. Dune: Part Two picks up from there, following Paul as he seeks revenge against those who destroyed his family.
The vibe is epic, atmospheric, slightly terrifying, and extremely cinematic—basically the opposite of a quick little comfort movie. You’ll want to give these your full attention, especially because there’s a lot of world-building to take in. But if you have a long enough flight, watching both back-to-back is an excellent way to make several hours disappear.
Photos courtesy of Kinorium
Frequently Asked Questions
The best long-haul flight movies depend on your mood and how much time you have. This list includes Knives Out, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Crazy Rich Asians, Catch Me If You Can, The Twilight Saga, The Martian, About Time, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Dune and Dune: Part Two.
Download movies that you can watch offline before your flight. For a mix of genres, try Knives Out for a mystery, Crazy Rich Asians for romance and glamour, The Martian for sci-fi, or Forgetting Sarah Marshall for a comedy.
A six-hour flight can fit around three to four movies, depending on their runtimes. For example, The Grand Budapest Hotel runs for 1 hour and 39 minutes, while Knives Out runs for 2 hours and 10 minutes.
If you have several hours to spare, watch the Dune films back-to-back or commit to the entire Twilight saga. Dune and Dune: Part Two have a combined runtime of 5 hours and 21 minutes, while all five Twilight films total 10 hours and 7 minutes.
For something warm and romantic, About Time is a great choice. If you want something funny and easy to watch, try Forgetting Sarah Marshall or Crazy Rich Asians. For something whimsical, The Grand Budapest Hotel offers a quirky, visually distinctive escape.
