Mark Wahlberg plays the villain in Flight Risk, but Mel Gibson’s movie could have made the character a lot more terrifying with a moment it refused to show. The 2025 action thriller has Wahlberg playing a pilot flying a US Marshal and a witness to safety. It’s only as the flight ensues that Madolyn (Michelle Dockery) and Winston (Topher Grace) discover that their pilot is actually a hitman hired to kill them. Chaos erupts from that point as Madolyn and Winston attempt to take down the pilot, which they do successfully accomplish in Flight Risk‘s ending.

The opportunity to see Wahlberg play a villain again nearly three decades after he did so in Fear was part of the inherent appeal of Flight Risk. The results have been mixed to say the least. Audiences favor the film overall on Rotten Tomatoes, but Mark Wahlberg’s villain return was not worth the wait for some. The actor really goes for a sinister performance at times and can be effective during his surprisingly limited screentime. However, Wahlberg’s villain could have been a lot more terrifying if Flight Risk showed a scene that happened off-screen.

Flight Risk Didn’t Show A Gruesome Kill Mark Wahlberg’s Character Was Responsible For

The Extreme Nature Of His Methods Is Confirmed

Although Wahlberg’s character fails to kill Madolyn and Winston, Flight Risk does confirm that he got one kill under his belt before the main plot even begins. Madolyn suspects something is off about him when she spots blood on his neck and arm but ultimately does nothing. The movie reveals that this blood is from the real pilot, named Daryl Booth, as Wahlberg’s character killed him off-screen so he could hijack the plane. Flight Risk goes a step further by revealing later on that Wahlberg’s villain removed the real pilot’s eyes, teeth, and fingers when he killed him.

Knowing the methods Wahlberg’s villain used to kill the real Daryl booth is meant to change how audiences look at the character. He’s not just a low-level criminal hired by the mob to take out Winston and Madolyn. He’s a killer willing to go to extreme lengths. It even suggests that Wahlberg’s character gets an element of enjoyment from killing people. He seemingly takes his time and slowly kills his victims, torturing them in gruesome ways that inflict excruciating pain. That could help make Wahlberg’s villain a lot scarier for audiences if the movie showed the scene.

Flight Risk Made A Mistake Not Showing Mark Wahlberg’s Character Kill The Real Pilot

Hearing about how Wahlberg’s character killed the real pilot is not ultimately that effective. It comes in a brief moment and is largely glossed over by Madolyn once she learns about his ways. If Flight Risk‘s cast and characters are not suddenly shaken by the reveal of these methods, then there is little opportunity for viewers to feel the terror that Wahlberg’s villain needed to bring to be fully effective.

It also does not help that Flight Risk tells audiences about how terrifying Wahlberg’s character is rather than showing them. The golden rule of movie making of “show, don’t tell” should have been applied here. A quick flashback showing the full gruesome nature of Wahlberg’s character killing the real pilot would have been better than having the information shared through a phone call. Flight Risk likely would have had a more terrifying villain and another memorable sequence that could have helped make the film stronger.