‘Come die with me’
Airborne is a 2012 British horror thriller feature film written by Paul Chronnell and directed by Dominic Burns who describes it as a tongue-in-cheek film in the tradition of The Twilight Zone. It was Mark Hamill’s first appearance in a British film.
Plot:
Despite an approaching winter storm, Atlantic Flight 686 takes off. Soon, the passengers find out there are hijackers on board who mercilessly follow through a ruthless plan that includes killing the pilots.
The passengers try to hinder the hijackers attempt to turn the plane into a weapon, but they are not capable of overpowering them and merely experience increasing levels of violence as they arouse their captors’ wrath.
Meanwhile, as fighter aircraft take-off and close in on the airliner, its hijackers indulge an increasing bloodlust. The air force obviously prepares to take the hijacked plane down but as the worsening snowstorm unfolds a growing impact is felt on their jets’ sensitive onboard electronics. Hence the military mission turns into a game of chance and the outcome might in the end just depend on the passengers’ will to sacrifice themselves…
Reviews:
“The cracking script by former Russ Abbot gag-writer Chronnell canters along through a brisk 77 minutes as characters disappear, conflicts arise, loyalties change and motivations become clear. A corking cast is topped by Luke Skywalker as a one-day-from-retirement air traffic controller in scenes filmed at Leicester’s National Space Centre.” MJ Simpson, 21st Century British Horror Films, Volume 2: White Settlers and Women in Black, 2021
“Airborne is a consistently enthralling story with plenty going for it but sorely lacking in any actually horrific moments. It sports a very good cast, strong performances (though Mark Hamill feels deeply underutilised as he spends most of the film sitting at a desk shouting) and an easygoing demeanour that effortlessly invites you in.” Dread Central
