The cabin is pressurized, and the captain has announced that your flight is ready for takeoff. No matter the length of your journey or your destination, you feel prepared for the hours ahead: You stocked up on snacks at the airport, your electronics are fully charged, and you’re ready to settle in with a curated collection of predownloaded movies and series.
Your choices likely depend on how long you’ll be in the air. If you’re on a cross-country trip and looking for a few hours of uninterrupted screen time, a longer movie will fit the bill. Staying on the same coast? A shorter film should be on your itinerary. And for the world traveler with multiple connections, you can’t go wrong with a series that you can devour in less than a day. No matter how many airline miles you’re racking up, read on for a wide variety of titles to have on hand for your next trip.
Runtime: 3 hours, 47 minutes
When people talk about films, hardcore cinephiles will regularly name-drop David Lean’s Oscar-winning 1962 epic — and for good reason. Based on T.E. Lawrence’s 1926 book Seven Pillars of Wisdom, the film stars Peter O’Toole (The Lion in Winter) as Lawrence, a British army officer who’s sent to Arabia during World War I to track down a prince (Alec Guinness) and serve as a liaison between the Arabs and the British. With the help of his newfound ally (Omar Sharif), Lawrence rebels and sets out on a dangerous journey across the desert.
Runtime: 3 hours, 29 minutes
Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas) directs this 10-time Oscar-nominated adaptation of Charles Brandt’s 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses — a decade-spanning portrait of organized crime in postwar America. In the film, truck driver Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) recounts becoming a hit man in the mid-20th century for mobster Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and his crime family before working for teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). Harvey Keitel (U-571), Anna Paquin (Alias Grace), Ray Romano (Running Point), Stephen Graham (Adolescence), and Bobby Cannavale (The Watcher) co-star.
Runtime: 3 hours, 24 minutes
Fans of space operas or Zack Snyder films (or both), strap in for an intergalactic adventure. Sofia Boutella (The Mummy) stars as Kora, a former soldier for the Imperium, the ruthless military force of the Motherworld. When the Imperium threatens a small farming colony on a distant moon, Kora makes it her mission to recruit warriors from across the galaxy to join her rebellion. Djimon Hounsou (Thrash), Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story), and Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes) also star.
Their saga continues with Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver.
Runtime: 3 hours, 5 minutes
Director S.S. Rajamouli’s maximalist, sprawling action flick follows two real-life revolutionaries on the adventure of a lifetime. Set in 1920s India, the film kicks off when an innocent teenager, Malli (Twinkle Sharma), is taken from her village by a dastardly British governor (Ray Stevenson). The ambitious police officer Komaram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) reluctantly teams up with a legendary warrior, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan), to track her down. Their seemingly simple mission eventually leads the pair to a righteous fight for freedom against their people’s oppressors.
Runtime: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Say hi to Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) and Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) for the last time — after three seasons of the series, Heartstopper comes to an end with this movie. With Nick preparing to leave for university and Charlie finding new independence at school, the reality of a long-distance relationship begins to weigh on them. Doubts take hold, and their relationship faces its biggest challenge yet. Meanwhile, Nick and Charlie’s friends are also navigating the ups and downs of love and friendship, confronting the bittersweet challenges of growing up and moving on.
Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes
Settle in for an introspective exploration of the West in this Oscar-nominated drama, which depicts a historic moment of rapid change in America — and celebrates the extraordinary lives of even the most ordinary people. Joel Edgerton (The Stranger) stars as Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who lives in the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century. Based on Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella, the film also features Felicity Jones (The Midnight Sky) as Robert’s wife, Gladys, and William H. Macy (Shameless) as Robert’s friend and fellow logger Arn Peeples.
Runtime: 1 hour, 38 minutes
While celebrating their 15-year anniversary in Europe, American tourists Nick (Adam Sandler) and Audrey (Jennifer Aniston) are invited by the mysterious Charles Cavendish (Luke Evans) to attend his uncle Malcolm Quince’s (Terence Stamp) wedding aboard a yacht. Moments after declaring his new wife, Suzi (Shioli Kutsuna), to be his sole inheritor, Quince is murdered — and everyone onboard is a suspect. Using Nick’s experience as a police officer and the knowledge Audrey absorbed from reading mystery novels, the two attempt to find the killer before they take the fall.
Runtime: 1 hour, 26 minutes
It’s just a little bit of weather, right? When a Category 5 hurricane decimates a coastal town, its residents are cut off from any rescue attempts and left to grapple with the devastation and chaos alone. As if that weren’t enough, the storm surge is packed with ravenous sharks. Produced by Adam McKay (Don’t Look Up), this survival flick stars Bridgerton breakout Phoebe Dynevor as expectant mother Lisa, alongside Djimon Hounsou (Rebel Moon) as marine researcher Dale, and Whitney Peak (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) as Dale’s niece Dakota.
Runtime: 6 hours, 34 minutes – 14 episodes
Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) and Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) meet for the first time on their last night of university, July 15, 1988, before going their separate ways. But that’s only the beginning. Based on David Nicholls’s bestselling novel, this drama series follows their decades-spanning love story. The pair meet up on July 15 every year, no matter how distant they may have grown. Together, they navigate life’s many highs and lows — from soaring romance to familiar heartbreak. Keep your tissues handy in your seat pocket.
Runtime: 6 hours, 32 minutes – 8 episodes
An author with a legendary case of grief-induced writer’s block finds a life-altering story in this limited series. Claire Danes (Homeland) plays Aggie Wiggs, a writer whose new neighbor, Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), is a charming enigma — and a notorious real estate mogul accused of murdering his wife. Aggie approaches Nile in the hopes that she can write about him and his case. He agrees. But is befriending a possibly sociopathic tycoon the best move? Can Aggie navigate their increasingly twisted dynamic to come out on top?
Runtime: 5 hours, 46 minutes – 7 episodes
Scott Frank and Allan Scott’s lavish, Emmy-winning adaptation of Walter Tevis’s novel stars Anya Taylor-Joy (Barry) as Beth Harmon, an orphan turned troubled chess prodigy. Across seven episodes, the series maps her rise to international fame, which coincides with her worsening dependence on drugs and alcohol. The show explores her ascent from a number of different angles, examining the role her womanhood played in her success, her romantic entanglements, and the effects of her own unresolved trauma. The stylish visuals make it a perfectly compelling plane watch (or rewatch).
Runtime: 2 hours, 22 minutes – 5 episodes
Take a tour through the history of civilization while you soar above it in this mockumentary. British comedian Diane Morgan (After Life) stars as Philomena Cunk, who brings viewers along on a series of fact-finding expeditions around the globe. Philomena wanders through historical sites and delivers deadpan observations about ancient people and the places they called home. These vignettes are interspersed with hard-hitting sit-downs with philosophers and academics, during which she asks important questions like, “Which was more culturally significant: the Renaissance or ‘Single Ladies’ by Beyoncé?”
