Stars: Josh Hartnett, Charithra Chandran, Katee Sackhoff, Julian Kostov, Marko Zaror, JuJu Chan Szeto, Rebecka Johnston, Sarah Lam, Danny Ashok | Written by Brooks McLaren, D.J. Cotrona | Directed by James Madigan

Fight or Flight tosses Josh Hartnett into the deep end of action-hero territory. He plays Lucas Reyes, a disgraced ex-Secret Service agent turned mercenary who’s been drowning his sorrows in Bangkok dive bars. His old boss, Katherine Brunt (Katee Sackhoff), dangles a lifeline: escort a mysterious high-value target, codenamed “The Ghost,” on a flight from Bangkok to San Francisco, and he can reclaim his old life. Simple, right? Wrong. The plane’s a flying death trap packed with assassins, think Bullet Train but with tray tables and less legroom and they are all gunning for Lucas and his VIP.

The setup screams B-movie brilliance: a confined space, a ticking clock, and a blonde Hartnett swinging a chainsaw. It’s...