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Jun 27, 2023 · Instead of locking us in our seats with Sam and the other kidnapped passengers, “Hijack” jumps to the U.K. to include the people who will try to stop a tragedy from the ground. The great “Torchwood” star Eve Myles plays Alice Sinclair, one of the air traffic controllers who first understands the severity of what is happening on the flight.
Jul 19, 2023 · Apple TV’s Hijack, which stars Idris Elba aboard a hijacked airplane, is the best thriller movie of the year, stretched across seven tight episodes.
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The show opens on Idris Elba walking through an airport and boarding a plane from Dubai bound for London. The limited series plays out by bouncing back and forth between chaos in the sky and attempts to manage the situation on land. No flashbacks are used to add additional backstory or context, and frankly, none are needed.
Constant nods to time serve as a pressure cooker. Time is constantly counting down, sometimes through visual cues and other times directly mentioned, such as a passenger trying to comfort a child, telling them they'll be home in about five Paw Patrol episodes.
The pacing from start to finish was done with a beautiful rhythm. Even though there are moments of relief from the intensity, the show's momentum only goes forward and up. After the opening sequence with Elba's character, Sam Nelson, gliding along the conveyor belt, doesn't let viewers off until it's finished. Each episode is a white-knuckled ride.
Related: The 10 Best Originals on Apple TV+ in 2022
Speaking of timing and pacing, there's one part where a character casually mentions the duality of a situation. She brings up the idea of Schrodinger's cat. The scene is used to highlight a specific episode's focus, but it also ended up speaking to the broader context of the show, flipping back and forth between air and land.
"Hijack" does an excellent job of keeping the viewer tuned to the most important part of the situation, whether in the clouds or on solid ground.
Why is Sam Nelson (Elba) in Dubai in the first place, and how did he lose his wife to another man? Viewers stumble onto these questions immediately, but there isn't time to dive into those character aspects. So we must make assumptions based on minimal clues across the seven episodes.
We really only get a little bit of info about Elba's character at the start and then have to glean from his calm and collected attitude in the face of danger that he has a knack for leadership at high-stakes levels. Most of the passengers, and even the hijackers, want to give into his agreeable attitude, which goes a long way in convincing viewers to do the same.
Frankly, Elba is one of the few actors who is instantly likable enough to pull this role off. The central role would have felt like a void without Elba's natural charisma.
Failing to get a deeper understanding of Sam Nelson is unfortunate. Still, it's mostly covered up by the other 200-plus people on the flight and on the ground that we need to know about and either like or hate, with only several minutes of screen time each.
"Hijack" is an intense thriller from the start, and each episode predictably adds more pressure and escalates the stakes. While the first episode might not be an edge-of-your-seat ride, subsequent episodes tend to have that effect.
The story doesn't rely on wild twists and gotcha moments, but there are enough mysteries to keep viewers guessing until the end. There was one sleight of hand that was obvious and took me out of the thrill of the hunt at the time, but otherwise, the story felt authentic and believable at every turn.
Audiences can't have deep, emotional connections with many of the characters and also get a brisk-paced, edge-of-your-seat narrative---time doesn't allow for it. So it's hard to criticize the lack of character depth as a deep flaw with this limited series. (I also think stringing the show out longer than it was would have caused it to lose a lot of its allure.)
One of the confounding bits, however, is how the show places such great emphasis on timing but separates each episode over a weekly release schedule. I watched several episodes back-to-back because as tensions rose, I found it hard to pull myself away. Weekly viewers won't have that same opportunity. It's a shame.
While a weekly release schedule might be better for the business of streaming to gain additional viewers each week and have their chance for ongoing discussions, "Hijack" is a unique instance that should have bucked the trend and been released all at once.
In the thick of it, "Hijack" feels like a long movie. It's episodic, sure, but its true strength comes from its relatively short runtime for a series and intricately woven narrative. This show was made for binge-watching.
As long as you have access to the Apple TV+ streaming service, "Hijack" is a must-watch. This show alone might not be worth subscribing to Apple TV+ for, but there are enough great shows collectively on the service that "Hijack" probably should be the one to push you over the edge to try the service.
Episode one of "Hijack" establishes as many characters as possible while still getting to the main point. It should hook you immediately, but the two-episode-premier will have you completely buckled in.
"Hijack" avoids any lulls with its concise format and introduction of increasingly pertinent information. Each slice of the flight is meticulously packed with high-altitude pressure.
Ultimately, "Hijack" is a triumph of plot-based storytelling. It takes off right on cue and soars until the absolute last moment. Plus, once the show has been fully released, it will make for the ultimate in-flight binge-watch.
Hijack on Apple TV+
9/ 10
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- Senior Author
Aug 4, 2023 · In 2023, Elba continues his streak of nail-biting summer stories with the Apple TV+ series Hijack. Following a plane hijacking that plays out in real-time, Hijack is the perfect show to watch if ...
- belen.edwards@mashable.com
- Entertainment Reporter
Sep 13, 2023 · Hijack, Apple TV+ ’s new seven-part plane thriller, may have achieved lift-off without much fanfare, but it has now reached cruising altitude and is set to become the hit of the summer. The ...
- Nick Hilton
Jun 16, 2023 · The hijacking unfolds over seven hours (the rough runtime of the series) while the passengers do everything in their powers to thwart their captors, and the authorities on the ground do all they ...
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Jun 27, 2023 · Hijack. The Bottom Line An unpretentious good time. Airdate: Wednesday, June 28 (Apple TV+) Cast: Idris Elba, Archie Panjabi, Neil Maskell, Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Jasper Britton ...
