Overview
Survival against the odds in the unforgiving Sahara desert.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- sun-bleached
- claustrophobic
- classic movie night
- survival film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an absorbing, expertly directed survival drama elevated by its standout performances and tense character interplay.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The central plan involves dismantling the crashed cargo plane and using its surviving wing as the basis for a new aircraft.
The survivors are trapped in the Sahara with dwindling food and water while attempting an arduous escape.
Pilot Frank Towns, navigator Lew Moran, designer Heinrich Dorfmann, and the other survivors must work together despite competing egos and resentments.
The stranded men and their improvised aircraft are repeatedly dwarfed by the vast Sahara environment.
Films like The Flight of the Phoenix, and why
The Wages of Fear
survival adventure, extreme environmental peril, and group conflict under pressure
The Grey
ensemble survival drama, hostile wilderness, and escalating interpersonal tension
Sully
aviation-centered disaster storytelling, professional responsibility, and resourceful problem-solving
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Aldrich
- Release Date
- 1965-12-15
- Runtime
- 142 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (390)
Cast
- James Stewart
- Richard Attenborough
- Peter Finch
- Hardy Krüger
- Ernest Borgnine
- Ian Bannen
- Ronald Fraser
- Christian Marquand
- Dan Duryea
- George Kennedy
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Flight of the Phoenix about?
- After a cargo plane crashes in the Sahara, its divided survivors gamble everything on rebuilding an aircraft from the wreckage.
- What is The Flight of the Phoenix like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Flight of the Phoenix as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Flight of the Phoenix violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Flight of the Phoenix as mild.
- What did critics think of The Flight of the Phoenix?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an absorbing, expertly directed survival drama elevated by its standout performances and tense character interplay.
- Which films are like The Flight of the Phoenix?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wages of Fear, The Grey, and Sully.
- How long is The Flight of the Phoenix?
- The Flight of the Phoenix runs 142 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Flight of the Phoenix?
- In United States, The Flight of the Phoenix is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
