The movies and shows we love to watch on planes
John Wick killed it last year. The film starring the suave assassin played by Keanu Reeves dominated in-flight entertainment, as did a pink-clad feminist (Barbie), bespectacled creatures shaped like ear plugs (Minions) and a fraternity of Nintendo plumbers (Super Mario Bros). Dinosaurs from the Jurassic Age and Hollywood — and sometimes from both worlds — see Harrison Ford — also roamed airplane aisles.
To close out 2023, a number of airlines compiled their most-watched movies and TV shows over the year. United originally shared its picks with The Washington Post. We then contacted other airlines for their roundups. A half-dozen carriers replied: Alaska Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Qantas, Air New Zealand and JetBlue.
Their findings spoke volumes about the seat-back tastes of the flying public: People want a blockbuster or a comforting favorite.
For the film category, many of the airlines’ top titles were blockbusters that raked in millions of dollars in theaters worldwide. Similar to their counterparts on the ground, passengers gravitated to flicks that were part of a well-established franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe or John Wick, featured a megastar such as the Toms (Hanks and Cruise), or were a cultural phenomenon like “Barbie.”
“I cannot argue with most of these picks because they’re just too darn popular,” said Mark Ellis, contributing editor at Rotten Tomatoes. “That’s why your Barbies, John Wicks and Avatars are on there. I know I’m getting great quality entertainment with those.”
The TV shows, meanwhile, are a mix of buzzy new series, such as “The Last of Us,” “Succession” and “1883,” and the stalwarts that never cease to make us
Assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) remained a big draw for viewers for in-flight movies in 2023, according to several airlines.
laugh, such as “Friends,” “Schitt’s Creek” and “The Office,” which swept the rankings with four airlines.
“Even with the latest entertainment on offer, passengers still choose to watch timeless feel-good classics, such (as) ‘The Office,’ which came out on top for numerous airlines despite being released almost 20 years ago,” wrote Estibaliz Asiain, senior vice president of media and content at Anuvu, which advises and supplies airlines with entertainment content.
According to Comscore, a data analytics firm, the highest-grossing movie worldwide was “Barbie,” which amassed $1.4 billion last year. The film also ranked first on Australia’s Qantas, hardly a shocker considering that Margot Robbie, who plays the empowering Mattel doll, hails from Down Under. (The company’s data for TV shows
covers shows aired on broadcast and cable networks. Only “Young Sheldon,” a favorite on Air New Zealand and JetBlue, appeared in its top 15.)
“’Barbie’ was so monstrously successful at the box office. Plus, it’s ‘certified fresh’ at 88 percent, which means that everybody has been talking about it for the last six months,” Ellis said, referring to the site’s special designation for the best-reviewed movies and TV shows.
Joe Pichirallo, a film producer and professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, was surprised that “Barbie” did not have a stronger showing, considering its immense popularity. However, because the Greta Gerwig movie was released in July, airlines may not have added it to its in-flight collection until later in the year.
This was the case at United, which dabbled in its own
moviemaking last year with a Christmas short. Four of its titles — “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Ticket to Paradise,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” — dated from 2022. “John Wick: Chapter 4,” which hit theaters in March, had a head start of several months on “Barbie.”
“If you look at the movies that were at the top, those are probably the ones that came out a little bit earlier in the year and were offered throughout the year versus if something came out toward the end of the year,” said Mark Muren, the airline’s managing director of identity, product and loyalty.
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was the only other billion-dollar earner last year. It also earned the ultimate golden coin as the most-watched film on JetBlue and only JetBlue. None of the other airlines shared its passengers’ penchant for such family-friendly fare as “Elemental” and the 2023 version of “The Little Mermaid.” By comparison, “John Wick” and “Ticket to Paradise” appeared on four lists.
“The one rotten movie on United’s list is ‘Ticket to Paradise,’ which is right at 57 percent. But then you check out the audience score and it’s super high,” Ellis said. “It also has George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and it’s almost like you’re getting into the vibe of a vacation because that film is about flying to a destination for a wedding.”
Similarly, Ellis said “Jurassic World Dominion” can also put travelers in an aloha state of mind. Its predecessors “Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic World” were filmed in Hawaii, and tour operators run excursions to film sites on Oahu.
“One of the top movies on Hawaiian Air is ‘Jurassic World Dominion,’ and I think that’s partially because people want to go check out Hawaii,” he said. “There’s a lot of tropical elements in the movie. So let’s get to Island Nublar before the plane lands.”
Ellis acknowledged that many of these movies might not win any awards or secure a spot in the pantheon of classic films, but they have loftier ambitions. Their ultimate mission is to distract passengers during the long slog through the stratosphere.
“What matters is, did it get me to my destination and make me forget that I was sitting on a plane with strangers for a couple hours?” he said. “Was it a good movie to have while I was getting from Point A to Point B? That’s the real goal of entertainment in the air.”
When selecting their in-flight entertainment offerings, the airlines aim to be as inclusive as possible. To ensure a diverse collection of titles, they work with major and independent studios, streaming services and companies such as Anuvu, which acts like a curator or personal shopper.