What is it about?
Narrated in real time, Hijack is a thriller centered around the hijacking of a plane bound for London. During the seven-hour flight, authorities on the ground scramble to find answers. Sam Nelson is a recognized negotiator in the business community. While he must use all his wits to save the lives of the passengers, his very risky strategy could lead to his downfall.
Hijack, a series created by George Kay with Idris Elba, Archie Panjabi, Fatima Adum, Kate Phillips… Available on Apple TV+ and MyCanal
Nerves are on edge
The limited space of airplanes, a whole bunch of people crammed inside, and the potential for imminent disaster have always created the perfect setting for a suspense thriller. The latest is Hijack, which follows a commercial flight from Dubai to London that, as its title suggests, is hijacked.
The situation of the hostages develops in seven episodes of the series (about one hour long), which corresponds to the development of events in real time. Inside the plane, Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) and his hapless comrades hatch a series of schemes to thwart the terrorists, while politicians and police on the ground race against time to decide what to do next.
Like many series now, Hijack probably should have been a feature film, a format better suited to this kind of claustrophobic thriller. Even if the stakes are high and the clock is ticking, it’s much harder to maintain tension over seven episodes.
The decision to play out in real time heightens the tension, forcing the audience to experience every moment of diversion with the characters. But the effect is diluted by the continuous passage of the action between the contents of the plane and the various intrigues that take place on the ground, which often blurs our perception of the time that has passed.
Idris Elba to the rescue
The story is full of revelations and twists as we learn who the bad guys are, what their plan is, and what other secrets might be on this plane. But Hijack’s timing isn’t as tight as it should be. False clues, such as a character with a nefarious past who may or may not be involved in the hijacking, are distributed and disposed of too quickly to have any impact.
Despite its clumsiness, Hijack still manages to grip the viewer. Each episode is a rapid succession of schemes and deceptions as the passengers try to outwit their captors, often finding ingenious ways to pass information between the plane’s cabins. Thanks to the wide cast of characters, it’s never clear who will be called upon next, or what role they will play.
Idris Elba, on the other hand, maintains the natural authority that made him so compelling in The Wire and even more so in Luther, but still leaves his comfort zone. Because Sam is a businessman, he is known for his negotiating skills, but he is not an action hero. In fact, he spends most of the series desperately trying to prevent anything tragic from happening on the plane, even if that means he has to be “nice” to the terrorists.
Unfortunately, the on-site drama slows the action down, only occasionally offering something compelling enough to interrupt the sky-high explosion of the pressure cooker. A subplot involving Sam’s son (Jude Cudjoe) and his stepfather (Max Beesley), a not-so-sharp cop, is particularly futile. But while Hijack is not a high-tension 24-hour thriller, its thrills and thrills are enough to keep you engaged till the end.
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
