Why you should be watching Hijack on Apple TV+
Review Overview
Cast
8Concept
8Pace
8Ivan Radford | On 02, Jul 2023
New episodes arrive on Wednesday until the finale on 1st August 2023.
From 24 and Gravity to Locke and Phone Booth, letting screen stories play out in real-time has always been a recipe for added tension, and Apple TV+’s Hijack is a welcome reminder that, when done well, it’s much more than a gimmick.
Starring and exec-produced by Idris Elba, the seven-part series follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight. Our man not on the ground? Passenger Sam Nelson (Elba), a high-stakes business negotiator who soon clocks that something’s ticking away under the surface of a seemingly ordinary flight. When things kick off, he inserts himself in between the hijackers and the rest of the plane, hoping to find a way to de-escalate the tension.
Except, of course, Hijack is wired to do everything but de-escalate the tension. From the moment the plane lifts off, things are set in motion with a glorious clockwork precision, as writers George Kay (Lupin, Criminal) and Jim Field Smith (Criminal) drip-feed red herrings, potential twists and Chekhov’s washbag at just the right moment to ramp up the suspense.
It begins with Jasper Britton as the slightly too friendly older geezer, who has just enough nerve to bring the operation forwards – and just enough jitters to put him at odds with leader hijacker Stuart (played with resolve and a faintly growing feeling of desperation by the always brilliant Neil Maskell). Soon, we’re watching aghast at the behaviour of Ben Miles’ captain, Robin, whose personal life leaves him in an ethically sticky situation – and leaves us (and the cabin crew) unsure whether to trust him or not. And then there’s the snooty, self-centred rich traveller, with whom the stressed parents with kids pick a fight, the school kids with enough smarts to know something’s up, the considerate young singleton who is surely too nice to survive. All these and more rear their heads at the opportune moment to trigger a cliffhanger, nudge the preciously balanced pieces into chaos or tug at our sympathies.
On the ground, we’re in no doubt that we trust Alice, an air traffic controller with flawed fortitude played by a heartfelt Eve Myles with enough messiness to make her relatable. And there’s counter-terrorism officer Zahra (Archie Panjabi), plus Alice’s colleagues, some of whom have a little too much interest in what’s happening with the flight.
The show jumps between the two locations, but it’s when we’re stuck inside the cabin that things are at their best, as the series leans into the inescapable claustrophobia of the situation. The script finds inventive ways to shake things up, such as an onboard video game being used as a secret messaging system, but its strength lies in how straight it plays its increasingly absurd premise.
Key to that is, of course, Idris Elba, who swaggers down the aisle with such authority and charisma that you actually believe this man could talk hijackers into listening to him, deduce how to stay one step ahead of his opponents and – most miraculous of all – get a fellow passenger to turn their mobile device’s volume down. He’s a towering figure whose physicality is as wiry as his agile intellect – it’s a brilliant performance of building character through action, as his seemingly, implausibly calm exterior speaks volumes.
The result is a gripping, brilliantly daft ride that promises to keep you hooked throughout its seven-hour flight with every riveting minute – and, based on the opening episodes, looks set to confidently stick the landing.