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6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Forced Landing remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that feel like they were made for five dollars and a ham sandwich, sure. It’s perfect for people who enjoy that specific 1930s 'let's just get the story moving' energy. If you need high stakes or logic, stay far away.
Forced Landing doesn’t waste any time. We’re in the air, then we’re in the dirt. The whole premise hinges on this jetliner being forced down in Arizona, and honestly, the desert scenery is the most honest thing in the whole picture. It’s dry, it’s brown, and it looks like nobody wanted to be out there.
Esther Ralston is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. She carries a look of 'why am I in this movie' that is actually pretty relatable. There's this one moment where she looks out the window, and you can just tell she's wondering if the catering truck ever showed up.
The middle of the movie just sort of happens. Characters wander around, say a few things that don't really move the needle, and then someone points a gun at someone else. It reminded me a bit of the aimless energy in The Sailor, where you just wait for the next thing to break.
There’s a scene in the cockpit that goes on for about 45 seconds too long. You can literally hear the camera humming. It’s the kind of silence that usually means the director ran out of ideas or the lead actor forgot their line and everyone was too tired to do another take. It’s weirdly charming, I guess?
It’s nowhere near the ambition of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, which is fine because it doesn't try to be. It’s just a scrappy, messy little thing. Sometimes I prefer that over something that thinks it’s changing the world.
Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it the kind of movie you put on while you're folding laundry and find yourself staring at for ten minutes because the lighting is so weirdly flat? Absolutely. 🏜️
