Downton Abbey Star Michelle Dockery’s “Very Silly” Thriller Flight Risk Soars to Top of Streaming Chart

Downton Abbey favourite Michelle Dockery has traded stately homes and dinner bells for high-altitude chaos — and audiences are absolutely loving it. Her new thriller Flight Risk has shot straight to the top of Prime Video’s UK film chart just days after landing on the platform, proving that sometimes, dumb fun really does fly.

The film stars Dockery as Deputy US Marshal Madolyn Harris, tasked with escorting a mob accountant-turned-informant (Topher Grace) across the country. Their supposedly routine flight from Alaska to New York spirals into danger when they meet Daryl, a swaggering bush pilot played by Mark Wahlberg, whose easy charm masks some seriously shady motives. As the trio navigates turbulent weather, double-crossing criminals, and questionable in-flight snacks, the tension ratchets up to near-breaking point.

Originally released in cinemas back in January, Flight Risk had only a modest box office run. But streaming has given the thriller a second life: it’s now sitting at #1 in the UK and Ireland, and at #3 worldwide on Prime Video, trailing only The Map That Leads to You and The Pickup.

---

Critics vs. Audiences — Two Very Different Flights

While audiences have embraced Flight Risk for its brisk pacing and unapologetic popcorn thrills, critics have been far less generous. Rotten Tomatoes currently shows an approval rating of just 29% from 129 reviews — a figure that would normally send a film into a tailspin.

The Observer described it as “stripped back to essentials — a taut little three-hander,” while also noting Wahlberg’s “enormous and overblown performance… very silly, but pulpy fun.” Empire praised its “unpretentious” approach, calling it the kind of old-school B-movie Hollywood doesn’t make enough of anymore. The Guardian found it “diverting and ingenious… with game performances from Wahlberg, Dockery and Grace.”

Not all reviewers were willing to play along. Vulture dismissed the film as “dumb, but not the right kind of dumb,” criticizing it for failing to fully lean into its own absurdity. Others complained about the predictable mid-air twists and a third act that feels “rushed to landing.”

---

Prime Video’s Thriller Push

The sudden streaming success of Flight Risk comes at a time when Prime Video is clearly leaning into high-stakes, high-octane entertainment. Just last week, Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning political thriller Argo also debuted on the platform, giving subscribers a sharp contrast between real-world suspense and pulpy escapism.

For Dockery, best known as the icy but elegant Lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey, this gritty turn as a no-nonsense U.S. Marshal marks a dramatic career pivot. It’s not her first American role — she previously starred in TNT’s Good Behavior and Netflix’s Godless — but it’s arguably her most physically demanding to date, swapping polite dialogue for gunfights and perilous bush-plane takeoffs.

---

A Cult Hit in the Making?

Despite mixed reviews, Flight Risk is quickly gaining a reputation as one of those “so bad it’s good — or maybe just good” thrillers that online communities rally around. Social media is buzzing with posts praising Wahlberg’s wildly charismatic performance and Dockery’s surprising action chops. Memes of Grace’s perpetually terrified expressions mid-flight have already gone viral.

Streaming data suggests the film has legs — or in this case, wings. If this trajectory continues, don’t be surprised if Flight Risk becomes an unexpected cult hit, proving once again that audience appetite doesn’t always line up with critical consensus.

Flight Risk is now streaming on Prime Video in the UK, Ireland, and worldwide.