Review: Hijack (Season 1) | top of the movie

An airplane thriller with an impressive height

In the Apple TV+ thriller Hijack, we see Idris Elba deal with a plane hijacking in real time (sort of). The series is a subtly intertwined story, full of exciting threads to uncover at an impressive height for the genre.

Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) boards a plane from Dubai to London. Back home in the UK, a son is waiting for him, and his long-relocated ex urges him not to get on that plane. It soon turns out he has bigger problems than an ex-partner he doesn’t want to know about – right after the seven-hour ride begins, the kidnapping becomes a reality. Up in the air, Sam Nelson is determined to get out of the situation with his life intact, and the questions keep mounting.

However, flying thrillers and dramas are an outdated concept kidnapping More nuanced in its storytelling than many of its predecessors, and throughout the first episodes, the series skilfully skirts many of the genre’s cliches. The content isn’t revolutionary, but the elements of mystery and subtly changing pace that set it apart from other jet-set thrillers mean the series manages to hook one into its scenes.

More than just a fight for survival

An airplane thriller usually looks one way – A problem arises in the worst possible place, 10,000 meters in the air, and then an intense and relatively simple struggle for survival ensues. What’s happening kidnapping What stands out within the genre after only two episodes is that it has many more strings in its guitar than that. Sure, the struggle to stay alive after a plane hijacking is of course the basic pulse of this drama, but on the surface we’re treated to a well-orchestrated symphony of puzzle pieces that need to be found first and then put in place.

In the center we find Sam Nelson. On Earth, the mystery surrounding Sam arises when his son describes his professional role as hard to define, but asserts that Sam is the one called when the situation is critical and deals need to be struck. Up in the air, he acts mysterious but seems methodical, constantly making us want to know his next move.

On the other hand, Sam, we find the next puzzle in the form of the Aircraft Makers. Their agenda is not made clear and their target for the kidnapping becomes the next mystery to be solved. At the same time, there are many interesting characters on Earth who anxiously or suspiciously try to solve their own puzzles to find out what is happening in the air. Something easier said than done with poor communication and little evidence of the actual kidnapping. Schrödinger’s cat was mentioned in passing, and this is no coincidence – for those who follow the plane from the ground, it can be true that everything went to hell exactly as it should.

Many loose leads to follow It adds a whole new dimension to the moments of conflict that tend to characterize this type of story. The seven-hour journey between Dubai and London was filmed in seven episodes, each just under an hour long. Provides real time format kidnapping A space to build and explore in mystery, while breaking it up with the more intense passages we’re familiar with of the genre. It doesn’t sound revolutionary, but it looks almost done.

Forgivable flaws

Although “Hijack” does not manage to fall For the constant luring on board and filling each episode to the brim with clumsy physical actions in a cramped space, constantly panicking passengers, skydiving and the like, the series isn’t entirely without its faults.

One problem with the pilot episode is the dim focus on character. A large number of characters are introduced to the viewer, both on and off the plane, and many of them—who seem to serve limited functions—are given much attention at the expense of the main characters. Supporting characters stealing focus at such an early stage gives the feeling of a tentative introduction and it takes longer than desirable before we can begin to take the Sam Nelson mystery in earnest.

With a little patience, fortunately, such minor flaws are easy to forgive, and by the time you’ve finished the first few episodes, I have no doubt you’ll be invested enough in the fate of the main characters to want to keep following them.

“Hijack” is a few details away from being an actual movie, and it’s not only groundbreaking enough to earn a higher rating – but it also deviates enough from the clichés to continually fuel excitement and an insatiable hunger to see what’s next.

Hijack will premiere on Apple TV+ on June 28th.