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6.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Air Fright remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have twenty minutes and a weird fondness for vintage slapstick, sure. It’s a total relic. If you’re looking for a plot that actually makes sense, you’re going to hate it. It moves at such a breakneck speed that you barely have time to register who is even on the plane.
The whole thing is basically just folks in uniforms running around. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Pups Is Pups, where everyone is just loud and moving constantly. There isn't much room for nuance when you’re crammed into a set this small.
The girls are supposed to be professional, but they spend most of the time looking like they’re about to lose their minds. Gladys Blake and Thelma Todd are doing their best to keep the energy up. They succeed at the energy part, at least. It’s exhausting just watching them.
There’s this one bit where someone tries to serve a meal, and the turbulence turns it into a total disaster. It’s the kind of gag you’ve seen a thousand times, but it’s still weirdly charming. It’s not quite as grim as the tension in Martha, but it has its own brand of stress.
I found myself wondering if anyone actually checked the math on that experimental flight. Probably not. It feels like the writers just decided "let's put them on a plane and see what breaks." Everything breaks. Literally everything.
It doesn't reach the heights of something like The Sign of the Cross, obviously, but it’s not trying to. It’s just a weird, loud slice of history. If you like your comedies with a side of anxiety, you’ll be fine. ✈️