The 25 best movies to watch on an airplane

A little too on the nose? Nah. You can't go wrong with this Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker comedy, which sees a bunch of people take a one-way flight to crazy town. The one-liners will make you laugh so loud, the flight attendant will have to come over and see if you're alright.

It's on every flight for a reason. Because Cast Away is about a man stranded on an island, one with tropical beaches and vast horizons, it makes for the perfect escape from the tight spaces on a plane. You'll forget about the people next to you in no time. Learn more about the film here.

This is a delightful way to pass the time. The toys are friendly (and feature some of the most memorable Pixar characters of all time), the jokes are funny and if you get bored, there are three more installments. There's no better way to binge this series than on a flight. 

This is one of the most joyous, quotable and funny rom-coms of all time. Julia Roberts is at her best. Hugh Grant is so darn charming, with his foppish hair and winsome grin. And the whole premise of the movie — about a movie star falling in love with a regular guy — is the definition of transporting. Notting Hill was made for repeat viewings. 

Leaving a holiday can suck, but The Holiday will transport you to a dreamy getaway for two hours before your own vacation is over (or begins). It's a treat to watch Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz swap homes at Christmas, find love and wear some extremely nice sweaters. 

Is there a better movie to watch on a plane? Inconceivable! The Princess Bride has all the trappings of a great plane movie: fencing, fighting, escapism, true love. It's all here in this story of a kidnapped princess and the captor who's in love with her.  

You'll be so hooked on this quest for a magical ring that you won't even notice the stewardess asking if you want water or coffee. Those who plan on watching the entire trilogy should opt for coffee, but then again, you won't need caffeine to stay awake for this one. Check out some facts you might not have known about The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King.

We will take a feel-good comedy about Reese Witherspoon getting over her ex and getting through Harvard any day of the week. But for some reason, even though it's considered a classic, there never seems to be a right time to watch it...until now. Take the time to catch up with this one on the flight, and check out some facts you might not know about the film.

It wouldn't be a list of the best plane movies without a trip to Paris. Every flight is loaded with them (Casablanca, Midnight in Paris), but this musical from Vincent Minnelli is your best option. It's a spry, colorful romance that sees a woman find love in the City of Light. 

This movie is really just a chance to watch Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon coexist on screen. Sure, the heist is cool and the revenge is sweet, but how often do you get to see this much star power on screen? It's like hitting the jackpot for acting — and it's like hitting the jackpot for anyone bored on a flight. 

Maybe a little too real? Being on a flight might be the wrong time to watch an aviator (Leonardo DiCaprio) try out his contraptions, but it could also be the right time. There's a reason this movie is shown on so many flights — it's a chance to trade your boring flight for a major expedition. 

You're on a plane. You're cramped. The guy sitting next to you wont stop snoring. You might as well turn on National Lampoon's Vacation, which sees Chevy Chase drive his family across the country to an amusement park. It's a roller coaster ride from the start, with so many speed bumps that you can't believe they're taking the freeway. 

Let's be real: this movie was made for planes. It's set on planes, the action is never serious and the plot seems like an airport novel come to life. Steven Spielberg's story of a conman (Leonardo DiCaprio) is just what you need to get through another two hours. 

There's no reason plane movies can't be serious, and Die Hard is just serious enough to be entertaining. Bruce Willis tries to save his wife from a bunch of terrorists who have taken over her company Christmas party. A number of action scenes later, he's got the main bad guy in his sights. 

Is it a tad immature? Sure. Two grown men acting like children? I mean, yeah. But you show me a movie with more jokes, quotables and one-liners and I'll show you... Step Brothers, to change your mind. Only a couple movies can claim to be this funny. 

This classic is available on most planes, so if you haven't seen Harrison Ford on the run, now's your chance. It's a thriller that still holds up. 

Ah, travel! You never know where you're going to go or who you're going to meet. If you're Ethan Hawke's character, you may meet a French woman on a train to Vienna. Richard Linklater's rom-com embraces the wonder of travel, the feeling that something magical can happen at any moment in time. 

Since you've probably seen this one a hundred times, it doesn't matter if you doze off throughout. You know the story by heart, so you're really just watching this one for your favorite scenes. Those who haven't... what are you waiting for? There's no better time to catch up than on a flight, and no better time to catch up on some facts you might not know about "A New Hope."

Again, you've probably seen this so many times that you can fall asleep whenever you feel like it. It's always a treat to return to summer camp, where two girls find out they're twins seperated at birth. Both are played by Lindsay Lohan and both are just so adorable. 

Get into the adventure mindset with Walter Mitty, who steps out of his comfort zone and discovers there's a world of possibilities out there. There's a lifetime of experiences waiting to be had, a landscape of memories waiting to be explored. His journey to find a photographer is one you want to watch before you start your own adventure. 

I'll be back... to watch this movie again! James Cameron's blockbuster about a robot sent to Earth is one we can watch over and over, which is why it's a great airplane movie. You don't have to be fully awake to enjoy the story. 

Sometimes you don't want escapism, you just want dialogue. You want to hear people talk, profusely, about something that is really interesting. Moneyball offers lots of talk, but the script is so well-written and the actors so well-calibrated, that this movie makes you lean into the screen for two hours straight. 

Music. Sunshine. A wedding on a Greek island. What more do you want from an airplane movie? Meryl Streep singing? You can have that too in this classic rom-com. 

It's not exactly the vacation you have planned, but it's a nice movie about embracing the good things in life. Jason Segal plays a guy who shows up at the same resort where his ex-wife is staying with her boyfriend. Lucky for him, the lady working at the counter has said yes to a date. See, things really do work out! It's definitely one of our favorite breakup films.

If you need to pass the time, this movie about Ferris Bueller skipping school is so money. It's funny, sunny and inspirational, with some timeless adventures that see Ferris try to do as much as he can over the course of a school day, and it features one of our favorite '80s movie villains.