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Patricia Wettig, Bronson Pinchot, Dean Stockwell, Mark Lindsay Chapman, Christopher Collet ... see more see more... , Kate Maberly , David Morse

Ten passengers on a red-eye flight from L.A. to Boston discover that they are not the only people on the plane, but after making an emergency landing in Bangor, Maine, they discover that they are the ... read more read more...only people on the planet. This film was based off the Stephen King short story Four Past Midnight. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Flixster Users

47% liked it

21,326 ratings

Critics

50% liked it

10 critics

PG-13, 3 hr.

Directed by: Tom Holland

Release Date: May 14, 1995

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DVD Release Date: August 21, 2001

Stats: 970 reviews

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Christopher Collet Bronson as Craig Toomey in the miniseries "The Langoliers" Pacman vidcap
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Flixster Reviews (970)

  • fb100000257973100
    January 29, 2012
    fb100000257973100
    If there is something of a blessing and a curse with Stephen King, it would have to be the trend of people taking his novels and short stories and turning them into numerous films and mini-series. This is a blessing because it gets his work out their into the masses, making him w... read moreell known among the common people. It is a curse due to how terrible most of these are. With adapting King's work, unless you really know what you are doing (ex. Brian de Palma and Stanley Kubrick), you will destroy and crash the project. This has happened many time and bound to happen even more. With the case of The Langoliers, this is a mix bag. It is not good, but it is bad in the 'so bad it is good' stance.
    This is one of the few short stories of King's I have not yet read, but after this film, it makes me want to read it so I can see how King had the story in mind. The basic idea of the film is that a group of people are trapped on an airplane with most of the passengers have disappeared like in Left Behind. The idea is one that has been used before, but with how it is presented on film does leave things questionable with Tom Holland's directing. Honestly, he could have made this film a bit shorter than it already is. He uses the three hours to develop that characters, but the problem is that we never truly care about what happens to any of them. I did not care if they were going to be right, if they were going to die, etc. Holland is known for making some okay horror comedies, but this film he does not do that good of a job with. Quite sad due to how much this film has as potential.
    The acting, I don't know if this was on purpose, is funny as crap. Everyone is overacting, no one is taking this film seriously, and it is just hilarious to see everyone try to act serious about a situation that is illogical and not that well thought out. But, the actor that just steals the show is Bronson Pinchot. I never seen an actor who overreacts, over does his lines, and raises his voice so high it sounds like his balls were chopped off. He is simply fantastic at being terrible in this film. Kate Maberly does a note worthy job in this film playing a blind girl throughout this film. While it is not a perfect performance (there are times when you know that she is faking), it is mediocre and better than most of the stale performance throughout the film.
    I might be a bit harsh on this film, seeing as how I have never read the original story, but this film is not really that good as a film or miniseries. In a critical sense. The acting is kind of trash, the direction is confusing at times, and the script should have been rewritten about a few hundred times. But, I still like this film because it is fun, enjoyable, and funny as crap in so many ways it is unrealistic. Everything from the over the top acting to the terrible script works as a comedy. Taken a black comedy, but a comedy none the less. If you go into this film looking for a serious Stephen King Horror story, you will be disappointed. Go into this with a comedic mind. You will get far more out of it. Even more out of Bronson Pinchot's performance.
  • superclerk25
    October 6, 2010
    superclerk25
    Not a bad tv movie. The book is, as usual, better in telling the story of what happens when time passes but this was done well. The cheesy CGI effects used are pretty bad but forgivable given when this was made and the fact that it was done for tv. There are other Stephen King... read more books I would have rather seen given the live action treatment though.
  • SirPant
    September 23, 2009
    SirPant
    I loved the book so much, this is a rubbish made for TV film but I give it 3 and a half stars for Bronson Pinchot and David Morse?s performances!
  • matertenebraum
    July 27, 2009
    matertenebraum
    I have to say I enjoyed this film a lot. I hadn't heard of it before but I found the film interesting. This film provides an interesting take on time travel not depicted in other time travel movies.

    To be perfectly honest I did not see this as a scare film. It was not remotely f... read morerightening to me, but that did not prove to be a negative part to it. The story is brilliantly told, and the sfx weren't that bad. It was clearly an unreal format of effects, but this added to the unique structure.

    Overall I enjoyed the Langoliers, a story of mystery and adventure crammed with plot twists.
  • LitelBluHli
    December 31, 2008
    LitelBluHli
    I saw this a couple of years ago and it wasn't too bad. Very interesting and a bit creepy.
  • romy861
    November 9, 2008
    romy861
    Interesting, and genuinely creepy in the first half, but could have been cut by a good hour and been better for it. The acting is pretty bad, but okay for a TV movie.
  • puffchunk
    October 25, 2007
    puffchunk
    "I saw through Mr. Toomies eyes!" Pretty terrible CG, and some awful acting, but I have a place in my heart for this film.
  • YosemiteSamFan
    July 14, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    A spooky Stephen King science fiction excursion with a missing airplane. Those who were asleep wake up to find most of the airplane passengers and crew vanished. They land at a deserted airport terminal and find more mysteries. Among the survivors are a blind girl and a hot-heade... read mored businessman. Time is running out for them as their past is catching up with them. Frightening "Langolier" creatures are eating everything up. Great story concept, executed a bit slowly with dodgy CGI effects, but it's all very interesting.
  • deano
    June 18, 2007
    deano
    Fascinating supernatural TV movie based on a Stephen King novella about ten passengers on a red-eye flight from L.A. to Boston awaken and find that everyone else has disappeared.
  • stuartb1234
    March 3, 2007
    stuartb1234
    Not good but not a King fan

View All The Langoliers Reviews

Critic Reviews

Stefan Birgir Stefansson
January 13, 2007
Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is

this must be a cult classic somewhere.

Rob Gonsalves
January 1, 2000
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

The great performance belongs to Bronson Pinchot as an unhinged yuppie. Full Review

Mark R. Leeper
November 3, 2004
Mark R. Leeper, rec.arts.movies.reviews

No review available.

Carol Cling
January 23, 2004
Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

Dragan Antulov
September 23, 2003
Dragan Antulov, rec.arts.movies.reviews

No review available.

Rebecca Murray
September 18, 2003
Rebecca Murray, About.com

No review available.

Michael Szymanski
August 28, 2003
Michael Szymanski, Zap2it.com

No review available.

Wesley Lovell
January 8, 2003
Wesley Lovell, Apollo Guide

No review available.

Scott Weinberg
July 26, 2002
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

No review available.

Robert Roten
January 1, 2001
Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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The Langoliers Trivia

  • Who appeared in all of the following films: Pet Sematary, Creepshow, and The Langoliers?  Answer »
  • What is the name of the Stephen king film that was produced in 1995 and directed by Tom holland?  Answer »
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