You're about to get on a long flight home, and the options seem overwhelming. Here's the strategy our critic recommends.

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Q: How do I pick the ideal in-flight movie?

I can't possibly tell you the answer to that question unless I'm sitting right next to you on the flight. (You can ask me if you see me.) But there are some principles to consider before your next flight -- guidelines that go beyond the length of your trip -- and they have everything to do with how adventurous you are.

Gather your options right away

First of all, some advice gleaned from my partner, an intrepid in-flight movie watcher. When you first sit down, immediately start scrolling through the options. When you see a title that looks interesting, plug it into Metacritic and see what the rating is. That will give you a sense of what's been said about the film.

You don't need to pick a film with a high critical score. Sometimes you just want to watch the kind of movie that will never garner critical acclaim. Sometimes that's what I want, too. But if you're armed with options before liftoff, you'll probably find something that fits your mood.

Consider the context

Perhaps you're embarking on a long-awaited adventure in a new place. The chances are good that your airline will have a selection of movies from your destination, and this is a great moment to start immersing yourself in the culture. On a flight operated by Icelandair years ago, I navigated to the selection of Icelandic movies and TV shows. All of them were gorgeous and fascinating and very Icelandic. Many seemed to feature sheep.

Maybe you want the adventure to wait until after you land because you're a nervous flyer? Then for heaven's sake, do not watch "Cast Away" or "Red Eye." Opt for familiarity: A firmly grounded comedy should do it, preferably a silly one. (Not "Airplane!")

But if you don't want to be that guy in Seat 34B laughing uncontrollably in the middle of the night, maybe avoid a comedy. And don't forget, there's some evidence that we cry more easily at movies when flying. Great news if you need a good weep session, but beware.

For some people, flying is the opportunity to catch up on all the recent movies they've missed. And over time, I've come to realize that it's a weirdly good environment for all the quiet dramas and art films you've been meaning to watch.

This is probably because watching on a plane is, in some regards, not unlike going to a movie theater. Of course, you can turn the movie off any time you want. There's a lot of background noise, and you might get interrupted by the captain's announcements. Plus, most people don't experience turbulence in a movie theater (except in 4DX, I suppose).

But there's a particular quality to theatrical viewing that can be a missing component of contemporary movie-watching. When you turn on a movie at home, the potential for distraction is high. The doorbell rings. The dog barks. The dishwasher is cranking on and off. Your phone is right there, begging for attention.

On a plane, though, the dog and the doorbell and the dishwasher are far below. Your phone is with you, but at best it's running on airplane Wi-Fi, which is so unreliable and expensive that it's barely worth bothering with. The screen is tiny, yes -- I cringe when people tell me they watched "Dune" in-flight -- but it's inches from your nose, and a decent pair of headphones will give you a surprisingly good cinematic experience.

This is probably why entertainment you downloaded ahead of time to your mobile device also hits different on an airplane. The distractions are limited, and you're more or less trapped in your seat. It's a great time to binge-watch TV, of course -- but it's ideal for trying out movies you heard about but haven't watched. It's hard to recreate these viewing circumstances on the ground. Take advantage of it.

(Of course, the tricky thing about in-flight entertainment is that everyone can see what you're watching. You might want to save that especially gory or sexy movie for the ground.)

Go on an adventure

I have a confession to make: I rarely watch movies on a plane. I've often seen everything, or I'm on a redeye and need to sleep, or I'm on deadline, or I have a good book on hand.

But when I do turn on the screen and pick a film, I'm often delighted by what I find. Some of the best movies of the year -- festival winners, nuanced and interesting stories, independent fare that might not have made it to your local multiplex -- turn up on in-flight entertainment systems.

That's why, in the end, I think airplanes are great places to engage in a little algorithm-defying serendipity, a bit of exploration. You're on an adventure, after all. Those "Office" reruns will be waiting when you get back home. Why not indulge the quest just a little further?