Five ’80s Movies To Soothe Air Travel
Flying high up in the sky with films (1982–1992)
Now that virtually any movie can be streamed in airports or aboard planes, that doesn’t mean that any movie should be. Using our portable devices or the airline’s seatback screen, not every film condenses well, and TV often adapts better to small screens. Noise-cancelling headphones can’t drown out aircraft clamor, and interruptions are a guarantee. Seat-neighbor etiquette should rule out movies with strong sexual content or graphic violence. And for short domestic hops — Los Angeles to San Francisco, Houston to Austin, New York to Washington D.C. — a running time of 100 or less minutes is ideal.
I flew from L.A. to Houston for the holidays, and most of these criteria weighed against Sinners (2025), rated R for strong bloody violence, sexual content, and language, portions shot with IMAX 70mm cameras (also, vampires are many things, but “soothing” generally isn’t one of them). So, which ’80s movies travel by air? Here are five suggestions most likely to be included in an airline library that do what baggage checks and TSA probes can’t: soothe the travel experience. As a bonus, each even includes a scene or scenes aboard an airplane.
Click the links to take a dive into each film with an article offering a complete historical retrospective.
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY … (1989). Romantic comedy thrives at 35,000 feet, and this one — written by Nora Ephron in collaboration with director Rob Reiner and his producing partner Andrew Scheinman — is well-tailored for the sky. At 96 minutes, it fits most flight windows, and its thesis that men and women can click as friends first makes it a soothing fantasy for smart people. Music by the Harry Connick Jr. Trio is utilized much the way the Vince Guaraldi Trio were for the Peanuts specials, giving the film a comforting familiarity.
Read the full article → When Harry Met Sally ...
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES (1987). Mining the pitfalls of travel, the first film released by writer/ producer/ director John Hughes starring adults pairs two masters of situation comedy — Steve Martin and John Candy. Predating contemporary identity politics by at least ten years, this comedy is a reminder that people who vote differently can coexist when working together on a problem. The supporting performances pop, and the movie — one of the funniest ever made — still lands every gag thirty years later.
Read the full article → Planes, Trains and Automobiles
MIDNIGHT RUN (1988). Produced and directed by Martin Brest as his follow-up to Beverly Hills Cop, this action-comedy features jeopardy that’s benevolent instead of brutal, and leans heavily into road-trip laughs. Robert DeNiro’s temperamental bounty hunter must transport Charles Grodin’s fussy accountant from New York to L.A. in a week, and George Gallo’s script finds ways to satisfy both of these well-drawn characters. DeNiro and Grodin were revelations in a buddy comedy, and their chemistry remains something to cherish. Given how few movies focus on male friendship, this one ends on an especially poignant note.
Read the full article → Midnight Run
POINT BREAK (1991). You don’t need a Jack & Coke to enjoy this Keanu Reeves-Patrick Swayze action thriller as a bromance. Righteously silly at turns, its surfing bank robber premise is pretty believable for L.A., and Reeves was cast as a credible surfer first, FBI agent second. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow with script polish from then-husband James Cameron, the surfing and skydiving scenes convey the thrill of an adrenaline-fueled lifestyle for those of us who don’t live it. Bigelow and second-unit director/stunt coordinator Glenn Wilder give the sports sequences a tranquil quality that contrasts with the chaos of the heists.
Read the full article → Point Break
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990). Tom Clancy’s consummate airport novel is improved by Hollywood as an action adventure about men who control war machinery rather than the other way around. With billion-dollar hardware loaned by the U.S. Navy, its high seas action scenes astound, but this blockbuster is comforting in its meeting of East and West, showing how adversaries can resolve their differences through strategic trust instead of warfare. Alec Baldwin, the first actor to play CIA analyst Jack Ryan in film or TV, presents a novel remedy for his character’s air sickness.
Read the full article → The Hunt For Red October
Whether you’re in the mood for a romantic comedy, buddy comedy, action with buddies, bromance with action, or military adventure, these ’80s films can help soothe air travel and get you to your destination a little less worse for the wear. For a non–jet-lagged explanation of why I consider the eighties to span 1982–1992, check the About section. For a deeper dive into each film, click on the links above.
Hey Joe, good morning! I agree with each of these five movies for flight or anytime really… Excellent choices. Peace! CPZ