The Night Flier

Name: The Night Flier
Released: 1997-04-30

Released 30 April 1997

4.0out of 10

No. 2352 on the Scare Scale

Based on 1 rating

Trailer

Where to stream it

Streaming data from JustWatch.

For cynical tabloid journo Richard Dees, facts are always stranger than fiction. Every headline is a dead-line. Serial killers, UFO abductions, tales of molestation, mayhem and murder. To some the tales are mere sleazy fantasy – but his faithful readers believe. And now there's a new story: The Night Flier. What is it that travels by night in a dark-winged Cessna, lands at secluded airfields and murders local residents? Dees begins to track the unknown killer in a Cessna of his own, uncovering clues that reveal a pilot more terrifying than he could have ever imagined.

How it scares

Each kind of scare is rated out of 10. Hover over a score, or use the info button, to see what it means.

Gore
5.0 out of 10,Strong
Blood, injuries and body horror shown on screen. Violence that happens off-screen barely counts.
Gore 5.0 is strong (5-6 on the scale):
- Bloody deaths and injuries shown clearly
- Happens fairly often, but doesn't linger
1. 1-2Mild
2. 3-4Moderate
3. 5-6Strong
4. 7-8Intense
5. 9-10Extreme
Creepy
4.0 out of 10,Moderate
Unsettling images, atmosphere and things that feel wrong. Not sudden shocks (Jumpscares) or waiting for something to happen (Suspense).
Creepy 4.0 is moderate (3-4 on the scale):
- An eerie mood with some disturbing characters or images
- Unsettling in places, but it rarely gets under your skin
1. 1-2Mild
2. 3-4Moderate
3. 5-6Strong
4. 7-8Intense
5. 9-10Extreme
Jumpscares
3.0 out of 10,Moderate
Sudden shocks designed to make you jump, usually a fast movement or a loud noise. Not slow-building dread (Suspense).
Jumpscares 3.0 is moderate (3-4 on the scale):
- A handful of jumpscares that land
- Spaced out, with long gaps between them
1. 1-2Mild
2. 3-4Moderate
3. 5-6Strong
4. 7-8Intense
5. 9-10Extreme
Suspense
5.0 out of 10,Strong
Tension and dread while you wait for something to happen. Not the scare itself when it arrives (Jumpscares or Gore).
Suspense 5.0 is strong (5-6 on the scale):
- High tension that keeps you on edge
- Calm moments are short and don't last
1. 1-2Mild
2. 3-4Moderate
3. 5-6Strong
4. 7-8Intense
5. 9-10Extreme
Psychological
3.0 out of 10,Moderate
Horror that gets in your head: paranoia, madness, doubting what's real and ideas that stay with you. Not how a scene looks (Creepy) or feels in the moment (Suspense).
Psychological 3.0 is moderate (3-4 on the scale):
- Unsettling themes, moral dilemmas or a character you can't trust
- Makes you think, without leaving you shaken
1. 1-2Mild
2. 3-4Moderate
3. 5-6Strong
4. 7-8Intense
5. 9-10Extreme

How the overall score of 4.0 is worked out

A film's three strongest kinds of scare count, with some weighted. Averages bunch up in the middle, so the result is then spread out from the average across every rated film.

Each kind of scare is weighted: gore loses a point, and creepy and jumpscares gain one.
- Gore 5.0 − 1 = 4.0
- Creepy 4.0 + 1 = 5.0
- Jumpscares 3.0 + 1 = 4.0
- Suspense 5.0, unchanged
- Psychological 3.0, unchanged
The average of the 3 highest (gore, creepy, suspense): (4.0 + 5.0 + 5.0) ÷ 3 = 4.7.
The average film scores 5.4, and the gap from it counts 2 times, so scores use the whole scale: 5.4 + (4.7 − 5.4) × 2 = 4.0.