What makes a great in-flight movie? Best films to watch on Emirates and Etihad in August

The National

4 days ago

Many have said it: 'I'll watch it on a plane.' Whether it's a recommendation from a friend or something you missed in cinemas, a long-haul flight is the place many people finally cross things off their seemingly endless lists.
But thousands of metres in the air, something shifts. Tastes change. We become more emotional (possibly due to lower air pressure), less cynical and far more likely to hit play on something we might have ignored on the ground. Air travel creates a unique mental space – half boredom, half vulnerability – and cinema becomes both an escape and a comfort.
A great plane movie is built for that headspace. It's not just about quality – it's about mood. It needs to be immersive enough to distract from the armrest battle unfolding beside you, yet undemanding enough to pause mid-flight. It should feel like a reliable companion, not a chore.
With that in mind, here's a breakdown of the types of movies that thrive in the sky – and several recommendations currently flying with Emirates and Etihad.
Tear-jerkers
Yes, it's true – people cry more on planes. Blame the altitude, the cabin pressure, or the fact they're emotionally raw after three hours in an airport queue. A good cry can feel oddly cathartic in the clouds, especially with the right film to trigger it. These picks deliver the gut punch with heart to spare.
Flow
The animals in this Academy Award-winning animated film never speak, and that realistic characterisation makes them burrow into the heart even more.
Available on Emirates and Etihad
Betterman
If you'd told us a year ago that a biopic about British singer Robbie Williams would be a tear-jerker, we'd never have believed you. But give it a try and you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Emirates
Before Sunset
One of the most romantic films ever made, the sequel to 1995's Before Sunrise (also available) elevates the overall series, following two missed connections who reunite nine years after they met for one unforgettable day and then never spoke again.
Etihad
Field of Dreams
You don't need to know baseball to be moved by this deeply earnest tale of fathers, sons and second chances.
Emirates
Sleepless in Seattle
Rainy nights, lonely hearts and Tom Hanks at his most Hanksian. One of the great comfort films.
Emirates
The Iron Giant
Still one of the greatest animated films ever made. Brad Bird's breakout classic is as funny as it is devastating.
Emirates
How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
A Thai box-office sensation and TikTok favourite. Balances humour and heartbreak with remarkable ease.
Etihad
Rewatchable nostalgia
Some films feel like old friends – endlessly rewatchable, oddly reassuring and perfect for watching when tired, bored or mildly sedated at 30,000 feet. They don't just pass the time – they make the flight fly by.
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Ignore Mickey Rooney's outdated character – easier said than done, I know – and Breakfast at Tiffany's hasn't aged a day. Audrey Hepburn's defining role is fittingly still the avatar for lost souls everywhere.
Etihad
Conclave
While less than a year old, this suspenseful political thriller among cardinals picking the next Catholic priest is just as good on return visits.
Emirates
A Few Good Men
That courtroom scene is iconic, but the rest holds up brilliantly. Peak-era Tom Cruise and writer Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, The West Wing).
Emirates
A murder mystery viewed through a window. Director Alfred Hitchcock makes voyeurism feel like comfort viewing.
Emirates
The Social Network
Razor-sharp writing, brilliant performances and still oddly thrilling even when you know how it ends.
Emirate s
Moneyball
Another baseball film for people who don't like baseball. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill sell the underdog magic.
Emirates
Over-the-top action
The constant buzz of a plane – the whirr of engines, the clatter of trolleys, the wails of overtired toddlers – can make even the best film hard to focus on. The solution? Loud, fast, gloriously over-the-top action.
These are high-stakes, low-subtlety thrill rides. Explosive visuals, simple plots and non-stop momentum make them perfect in-flight entertainment. Just plug in and let the chaos wash over you.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Full of genuinely breathtaking stunt work, intricately choreographed set pieces and unforgettable post-apocalyptic world-building, Australian director George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road has a case for being the best action film ever made. And its prequel, Furiosa, is available for plane-watching too.
Etihad
Edge of Tomorrow
One of Tom Cruise's most enjoyable starring performances – funny, thrilling and thoughtful – is unfortunately one of his most forgettable titles. If that the movie's bland name scared you off before, now's the time to watch.
Etihad
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
After the first film became an under-the-radar dad movie classic, Gerard Butler is back as Big Nick for more heist-movie goodness.
Emirates
Die Hard
Still the gold standard for single-location action. Unmatched pacing, wisecracks, and villainy.
Emirates
G20
Viola Davis saves the world. No, really. She plays the US President rescuing world leaders from terrorists.
Emirates
The Fugitive
A wrongly accused man, a relentless pursuer, and a perfect 90s thriller that's aged like fine wine.
Emirates
Novocaine
Jack Quaid stars as a man who literally can't feel pain – a useful condition when he's forced to become a reluctant hero.
Etihad
Three-star dramas
Not every plane film needs to be a classic. Some of the best in-flight discoveries are the ones you missed in cinemas or never bothered to stream. These mid-tier dramas don't demand full attention, but they deliver just enough emotional pay-off to feel worth it.
Trap
M Night Shyamalan is the current master of simple "what happens next?" storytelling, even if they go off the rails in the third act. In Trap, a man at a concert with his daughter learns that the entire event is a trap for the world's most wanted serial killer – and he's the serial killer.
Etihad
The Amateur
The inimitable Rami Malek gets the eminently watchable plane action-thriller he's always deserved.
Emirates and Etihad
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants
A charming, surprisingly affecting coming-of-age tale about friendship and growing up apart.
Etihad
Juror #2
Thanks to Superman, Nicholas Hoult is having a moment. This overlooked courtroom drama directed by Clint Eastwood features one of his best performances.
Emirates
Under the Tuscan Sun
A post-divorce Italian villa fantasy. Exactly the kind of wish-fulfilment that hits differently mid-flight.
Etihad
BlackBerry
A tech-world biopic that charts the dizzying rise and fall of a once-ubiquitous device.
Emirates
Crazy Rich Asians
Glamour, romance and family drama set in Singapore. A modern romcom with the heart of a classic.
Emirates and Etihad
Engrossing documentaries
On some flights, our boredom can't be satiated by fictional stories. In those moments, documentaries that teach us things about the world or peel off the layers of a mind-bending mystery are the only thing that can scratch that itch.
Sugarcane
A heartbreaking film that investigates the dark history of a residential school in Canada. With testimonies from some of its former students, it's a fascinating true crime story you won't soon forget.
Emirates
Senna
If F1 The Movie was your introduction to the world of Formula One, your next step should undoubtedly be director Asif Kapadia's masterful film about the life and death of Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna.
An uplifting look at the lives of two men who refused to let their physical disabilities dictate the paths of their lives.