Black Box

"What happened to Flight 298?"

2026 1h 25m EN

😐

6.0

MID

🍅

70%

FRESH

⭐

5.1

IMDB

★6.0TMDB · 96🍅70%Rotten Tomatoes★5.1IMDB · 3,595

HorrorThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A routine domestic flight turns into the flight from hell through a series of inexplicable phenomena and raw terror. Surreal encounters blur the boundaries between reality and nightmare. Passengers fight against all the odds in an attempt to survive while combating bizarre technological malfunctions, accelerating supernatural events and alien influences.

“What happened to Flight 298?”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Tom Brittney
Jeremey
Holly White
Emma
Betsy Blue-English
Rachel
Dane Whyte O'Hara
Brad
Kaja Chan
Chen
Georgina Leonidas
Yasmin
Hanneke Talbot
Paula
Anton Trendafilov
Sickly Old Man

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Steven Quale
Writers: Stephen Susco
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 22% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Steven Quale, shot by Steven Quale. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Raffertie. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Tom Brittney and Holly White and Betsy Blue-English carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "What happened to Flight 298?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Steven Quale directs. Steven Quale behind the camera. Raffertie scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $1.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Earned back only 22% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
4Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.
5Directed by Steven Quale, shot by Steven Quale. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Raffertie. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Tom Brittney and Holly White and Betsy Blue-English carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "What happened to Flight 298?".
9IMDB entry: tt32315584 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 96 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Steven Quale
Original score: Raffertie
Sound: Bret Killoran
Stunt coordinator: Victor Rangelov
Runtime: 85 min · 1h 25m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,000,000
Box office: $224,611
Return: 22% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Black Box (2026)
Rotten Tomatoes: 70% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 5.1/10 · 3,595 votes
MPAA: R

Also by

Steven Quale

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Simon Foster2026-06-16
"With scribe Stephen Susco and a committed ensemble leaning into the full potential of the sci-fi premise, [director Steven] Quale delivers a surprise-upon-surprise romp that Rod Serling himself might have once conjured..." READ the full review here: http://www.screen-space.net/reviews/2026/6/16/black-box.html
Sierbahnn2026-07-16
★ 6/10
There's a lot of The Mist in here, and there's also a lot of Twilight Zone in here. Then there is some Invasion of the Body Snatchers, some Snakes on a plane. There's simply a lot here. Not all of it is bad, and it's an enjoyable ride, even though it has its flaws.
the_original_crt2026-07-24
★ 7/10
A unique alien body snatcher airline hi-jacking scifi thriller. Enjoyed the movie with its unexpected twists and turns. The premise might be a bit over the top but it is creative nonetheless. 7/10