Fearless
A plane-crash survivor’s intoxicating sense of invulnerability collides with grief, guilt, and the fragile demands of returning to human connection.
Overview
A survivor of a tragic plane crash grapples with newfound invincibility and emotional isolation.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- intimate
- contemplative
- reflective evening
- serious movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a beautifully made, underrated psychological drama led by Jeff Bridges's outstanding performance as a man confronting profound grief.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Max Klein feels detached from his former identity, marriage, and everyday assumptions after surviving the plane crash.
Max emerges from the disaster feeling godlike and invulnerable, shaping his behavior and resistance to psychological treatment.
Max and Carla embody different forms of grief, guilt, and emotional disconnection following the crash and Carla's baby's death.
The film centers the survivors' altered perceptions and emotional aftermath rather than presenting the air disaster as an action spectacle.
Films like Fearless, and why
Ordinary People
shared focus on grief, trauma, emotional estrangement, and a psychologically intense central performance
The Sweet Hereafter
shared exploration of survivor guilt, bereavement, and the difficulty of returning to ordinary life after catastrophe
The Leftovers
shared intimate psychological drama, spiritual dislocation, and an outsider protagonist struggling to reconnect with loved ones
Waking Life
shared themes of mortality, altered consciousness, and emotionally searching recovery after a life-changing event
Movie Details
- Director
- Peter Weir
- Release Date
- 1993-10-15
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (357)
Cast
- Jeff Bridges
- Isabella Rossellini
- Rosie Perez
- Tom Hulce
- John Turturro
- Benicio del Toro
- Deirdre O'Connell
- John de Lancie
- Spencer Vrooman
- Daniel Cerny
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 Fearless about?
- A plane-crash survivor’s intoxicating sense of invulnerability collides with grief, guilt, and the fragile demands of returning to human connection.
- What is Fearless like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Fearless as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Fearless violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Fearless as mild.
- What did critics think of Fearless?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a beautifully made, underrated psychological drama led by Jeff Bridges's outstanding performance as a man confronting profound grief.
- Which films are like Fearless?
- Films with a similar feel include Ordinary People, The Sweet Hereafter, The Leftovers, and Waking Life.
- How long is Fearless?
- Fearless runs 122 minutes.
- Where can I watch Fearless?
- In United States, Fearless is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
