Flight Risk ending explained: Was Winston truly safe after landing the plane?

Flight Risk is a 2025 action thriller directed by Mel Gibson, featuring a tense narrative about survival, betrayal, and redemption. Released on January 24, 2025, by Lionsgate, the film stars Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, and Topher Grace.

The movie is about Deputy U.S. Marshal Madelyn Harris, played by Michelle Dockery. She has to take a mob accountant named Winston, played by Topher Grace, to safety.

Winston has decided to help the government by becoming a witness. The story takes place in the Alaskan wilderness and becomes a fight for survival when their pilot, Daryl Boot (played by Mark Wahlberg), is found to be a hitman.

The key question is whether Madelyn and Winston make it through the chaos. Yes, Winston survives the crash and the assassination attempts due to Madelyn's efforts to keep him safe.

The film explores a surprising betrayal among the U.S. Marshals and includes a tense showdown that saves Winston but comes at a high personal and job-related price for Madelyn.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Flight Risk.

Looking into the ending of Flight Risk

Madelyn subdues Daryl, but trouble looms

Flight Risk is currently running in theatres (Image via flightrisk.com)

The tension in Flight Risk heightens when Madelyn discovers that the pilot, Daryl Boot, is not who he says he is. Soon after takeoff, Daryl says he plans to kill Winston and admits that he is working for the mob boss Moretti.

Madelyn uses her quick thinking and a taser to take down Daryl and handcuff him. But this brief win isn't enough because Daryl's determination is always a danger.

Daryl's controlling attitude starts to impact Madelyn's feelings. He mocks her by bringing up her past mistakes, especially the death of a witness she was supposed to protect. These tricks distract Madelyn, giving Daryl a chance to break free from his restraints. He breaks his thumb and tears his hand free, leading to another violent confrontation.

The knife attack: Winston’s desperate heroism

A still from Flight Risk (Image via flightrisk.com)

Daryl breaks free from his bindings, causing chaos in the small plane. Daryl stabs Winston twice to get rid of the main witness and then starts to strangle Madelyn. Even though Winston is badly hurt, he shows bravery. He uses the knife stuck in his chest to cut the strap that Daryl is using to choke Madelyn, rescuing her in the process.

Madelyn, shaken but determined, ties Daryl up again, this time making sure he's held more securely inside the plane. The threat is still not over.

The chaotic landing: Daryl’s last stand

As the plane goes down quickly, controlled by pilot Hasan, Madelyn needs to pilot the plane while also defending herself from Daryl's last attack. Even though he is tied up, Daryl finds a way to escape again by awkwardly dislocating his thumb. He charges at Madelyn, set on finishing his task.

In a final showdown, Madelyn shoots Daryl several times, stopping him so she can concentrate on landing the plane. The landing is rough. The airplane crashes on the runway and breaks into pieces as it comes to a stop. Daryl is thrown from the crash and is killed when a rescue vehicle accidentally drives over him.

Betrayal within the U.S. Marshals: Colebridge exposed

One of the biggest surprises in Flight Risk is the betrayal inside the U.S. Marshals, which is actually planned by Director Colebridge. In the movie, Madelyn first thinks that her boss, Van Sant, is the one telling the mob where Winston is. This suspicion comes from a series of planned attacks that keep Winston and Madelyn in constant danger.

The situation becomes clearer when Winston shares an important detail: he used to send $25,000 every month to an address in Sanctity, Massachusetts, which is the same city where Colebridge lives.

Madelyn realizes her doubts are true during a talk with Colebridge, who accidentally shares too much information. His suggestion to reach out to him at his home in Sanctity is the last piece of proof. Madelyn realizes she has been tricked and faces the hurtful fact that the betrayal was from the top of her organization.

Colebridge's reasons are connected to his money dealings with mob boss Moretti, for whom he was hiding illegal money. His role in the U.S. Marshals let him share secret information, making sure Winston’s assassination would stay hidden.

Colebridge's betrayal puts the operation at risk and results in Van Sant's tragic death, making the story even more intense. In the end, her strong will to expose Colebridge's actions shows her strength and ability to bounce back after being deeply betrayed.

The EMT assassination attempt

After surviving the crash landing, Winston is still in danger because a mob hitman is pretending to be an EMT on the rescue team. The last assassination attempt happens when Winston is being taken to an ambulance for medical help.

The hitman pretends to help Winston but actually takes him to the back of the ambulance to suffocate him with a plastic bag. The scene becomes tense as Winston, who is badly hurt, cannot protect himself.

Madelyn's quick instinct saves the situation. Even with all the confusion from the emergency landing, she sees that the EMT is acting strangely and quickly figures out that he isn't really part of the official rescue team. Driven by adrenaline and her protective instincts, she hurries to the ambulance to face the hitman.

The encounter is quick but strong. Madelyn shoots several times, stopping the hitman before he can complete his job. This moment turns out to be an evident chance for Madelyn to make up for her previous mistakes.

Haunted by the death of a past informant she was supposed to protect, she decides not to make the same mistakes again. By saving Winston from another life-threatening situation, she shows she can be a good marshal and feels a sense of personal redemption.

The scene shows how far Moretti's group will go to stop Winston, emphasizing the serious risks in the main conflict of the film.

Tragic death of Van Sant

Van Sant’s death is one of the most emotionally charged moments in Flight Risk. Van Sant, Madelyn's boss and a trusted friend, helps arrange for Winston to be transported safely. Madelyn's suspicion that Van Sant is the mole puts her in danger without her realizing it.

Madelyn thinks that Van Sant might be involved with the mob, so she shares her concerns with Colebridge, not realizing that he is the real traitor. Colebridge uses false information to remove Van Sant, making it look like she died in a car accident.

Van Sant's death is painful not just because it happened so suddenly, but also because it shows the harm caused by Colebridge's betrayal. Van Sant played an important role in the operation by giving key support and advice to Madelyn. Her absence creates a gap in the team.

For Madelyn, Van Sant's death feels like a personal failure. Feeling guilty, she blames herself for not trusting her boss and not keeping her safe. Madelyn now is ready to work harder to reveal the truth about Colebridge and make sure justice is done.

Daryl Boot’s villainous legacy

Daryl Boot, played by Mark Wahlberg, is a memorable villain in Flight Risk. From the start, Daryl gives off a creepy vibe, and we see his real motives fairly quickly in the movie.

Daryl pretends to be a pilot, but he truly is a hitman working for mob boss Moretti to kill Winston. His violent and relentless nature makes him a tough opponent for Madelyn and Winston, as he will do anything to achieve his goal.

Daryl is driven by an intense determination and is ready to suffer a lot to reach his goals. After Madelyn held him down, he broke his thumb and hurt his hand to escape from the handcuffs.

His methods are brutal but work well, making him a constant danger even in tight and difficult situations. He attacks Winston, almost chokes Madelyn, and keeps escaping even when the circumstances are tough.

Daryl's last showdown with Madelyn as the plane lands perfectly shows his bad behavior. After he attacked her one last time, he was shot several times and then thrown from the falling plane. His death is both shocking and meaningful because he is hit and killed by a rescue vehicle.

Even though Daryl has no good qualities, he is an interesting villain who creates a lot of tension in Flight Risk. His actions make Madelyn and Winston face their fears and fight to stay alive, making him an important part of the story. He is remembered as a villain because of his strong will and the chaos he causes, making him a notable enemy.

Flight Risk is currently running in theatres.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande