Fighter: 6 films that feature the high-flying escapades of Air Force pilots

The highly-anticipated Bollywood action film Fighter is set to hit theatres next week on the 25th. The film boasts a stellar ensemble featuring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone in the lead, and with a supporting cast of Anil Kapoor, Karan Singh Grover, and Akshay Oberoi among others. The Siddharth Anand directorial has fans excited for high-flying aviation action. For today’s List Hai Toh Hit Hai, we have curated a list of films that feature adrenaline-pumping aviation action.

Top Gun: Maverick - Netflix

A list of films about daring pilots and their incredible adventures would be incomplete without a Top Gun film. Top Gun: Maverick, the 2022 sequel to Tom Cruise’s 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, exceeded expectations when it hit   theatres two years ago. The sequel is credited to have surpassed the original in terms of commercial and critical success, storytelling, and pulsating action sequences. Directed by Joseph Kosinski and with Cruise in the lead, the film features a star-studded ensemble of Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer.

The Right Stuff - Amazon Prime rental

The 1983 historical epic drama film, The Right Stuff, has probably not garnered the same level of popularity and cult fan-following as Top Gun, but its place in cinema history is undeniable. With a runtime of over three hours, it bagged four Academy Awards and remains one of the most compelling films based on fighter pilots. The Philip Kaufman film follows a group of American Air Force, Navy, and Marine test pilots who are thrust into the ‘space race’ during America’s Cold War with the Soviet Union. Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Lance Henriksen, Scott Paulin, Dennis Quaid, and Sam Shepard among others star in prominent roles in this lesser-known classic from the ‘80s.

Dunkirk - Prime Video

It has almost become a universal fact that Christopher Nolan makes only stellar films. But if one were to make an argument for the auteur’s lesser-appreciated films, Dunkirk would certainly top that list. The World War II drama is an anti-war film that revolves around the harrowing evacuation attempts of Allied soldiers from the shores of Dunkirk in the midst of relentless bombing by German fighter planes. Tom Hardy plays the role of a British Royal Air Force pilot, who attempts to overcome insurmountable odds to battle the Germans in the air, in an effort to help those on the shore to find safety. Hardy is joined by Cillian Murphy, Marks Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Barry Keoghan, Harry Styles, and Fionn Whitehead among others in prominent roles.

Good Kill - Prime Video

Directed by Andrew Niccol, the 2014 drama film, Good Kill, stars Ethan Hawke, Bruce Greenwood, Zoë Kravitz, Jake Abel, and January Jones in lead roles. The plot revolves around a US drone pilot, Thomas Eagan, who begins to question the ethics and morality of dropping bombs in Afghanistan. Critics praised the film for its thought-provoking narrative and Hawke’s nuanced performance as the conflicted lead star.

Unbroken

The 2014 biographical drama Unbroken is a film adaptation of the book by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. It stars English actor Jack O'Connell as Army officer Louis "Louie" Zamperini, an Olympian, who gets stranded on a raft after his bomber plane crashes into the ocean during World War II. The film is directed by Hollywood star Angelina and also features performances by Domhnall Gleeson, Miyavi, Garrett Hedlund, and Finn Wittrock.

Pearl Harbor - Amazon Prime Video, Apple, and Google rental

The 2001 historical war drama Pearl Harbor, is a quintessential Michael Bay film. It features cheesy dialogues and a relatively straightforward story, but some of the best action sequences in cinema. Despite a 24% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes this blockbuster film was nominated for four Academy Awards and won Best Sound Design. It follows the love triangle between two soldiers and a nurse, against the backdrop of the aftermath and the US retaliation of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. The film stars Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, and Josh Hartnett in lead roles, with Cuba Gooding Jr., Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Colm Feore, and Alec Baldwin playing other prominent characters.

Well that's all we got for this episode, until the next time it's your host Nikhil signing out.

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Written by Ryan Gomez