Overview
A flight from paradise turns into a harrowing fight for survival as lives hang in the balance.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- tense
- earnest
- sentimental
- classic movie night
- aviation movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally recognized the film's engaging performances, aviation suspense, and broad appeal, while modern assessments often find its synthetic characterization and extended runtime excessive.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
As the plane loses an engine and approaches a possible crash landing, passengers reveal private histories and reassess their lives.
The flight crew's efforts to navigate and prepare for an emergency landing drive the film's prolonged suspense.
The passengers' varied problems and relationships become central as the airborne emergency forces them into a common ordeal.
The film's airplane setting, aviation mechanics, and large-scale emergency sequences foreground the technical and visual drama of commercial flight.
Films like The High and the Mighty, and why
Airport
Shared aviation disaster premise, ensemble character drama, and suspenseful crisis management aboard a troubled flight.
The Flight of the Phoenix
Shared classic disaster-film structure, airborne peril, professional heroism, and interpersonal tension among passengers and crew.
Zero Hour!
Shared mid-century aviation suspense, mechanical crisis, and pressure-cooker ensemble dynamics.
The Poseidon Adventure
Shared disaster spectacle, moral reassessment under imminent danger, and large ensemble storytelling.
Movie Details
- Director
- William A. Wellman
- Release Date
- 1954-07-03
- Runtime
- 147 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (90)
Cast
- John Wayne
- Claire Trevor
- Laraine Day
- Robert Stack
- Jan Sterling
- Phil Harris
- Robert Newton
- David Brian
- Paul Kelly
- Sidney Blackmer
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The High and the Mighty about?
- When an engine fails over the Pacific, a veteran pilot must hold together a frightened passenger plane while its occupants confront the lives they have been avoiding.
- What is The High and the Mighty like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The High and the Mighty as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The High and the Mighty violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The High and the Mighty.
- What did critics think of The High and the Mighty?
- Critics generally recognized the film's engaging performances, aviation suspense, and broad appeal, while modern assessments often find its synthetic characterization and extended runtime excessive.
- Which films are like The High and the Mighty?
- Films with a similar feel include Airport, The Flight of the Phoenix, Zero Hour!, and The Poseidon Adventure.
- How long is The High and the Mighty?
- The High and the Mighty runs 147 minutes.
- Where can I watch The High and the Mighty?
- In United States, The High and the Mighty streams on YouTube TV.
