Idris Elba's plane thriller 'Hijack' is the perfect summer binge

Seven hours of non-stop thrills.

When it comes to fun, late-summer thrillers, Idris Elba knows precisely what we want. In 2022, he starred successful nan awesome wilderness endurance flick Beast, which saw him straight-up punch a lion successful nan face. (It was glorious.) In 2023, Elba continues his streak of nail-biting summertime stories pinch nan Apple TV+ bid Hijack.

Following a level hijacking that plays retired successful real-time, Hijack is nan cleanable show to watch if you want to get sucked into a mildly ridiculous, yet wholly engrossing scenario. You'll squeal arsenic our heroes brave danger, swoon astatine Elba's charisma, and moreover chuckle astatine immoderate prime one-liners. And pinch each of Season 1 presently streaming, you won't person to interest astir nan show's astir suspenseful cliffhangers. Just property play, fasten your seatbelt, and return disconnected into nan high-octane thrill thrust that is Hijack.

Hijack delivers suspense astatine 35,000 feet.

Hijack opens pinch what seems for illustration a normal level flight: Flight attendants invited everyone connected board, co-pilots hole for departure, passengers settee successful for nan seven-hour travel from Dubai to London. Little do they cognize that they're successful for 1 bumpy ride.

Not agelong aft nan level gets successful nan air, a group of gun-toting hijackers return over. They frighten nan aviator (Ben Miles) and trim disconnected passengers' expertise to pass pinch nan extracurricular world, but not earlier a distress awesome gets out. It's conscionable capable to get nan shot rolling connected nan ground, mobilizing a group of politicians and aerial postulation controllers to effort to fig retired what nan hijackers' demands are, really to respond, and really to forestall an airborne tragedy.

Up successful nan air, nan hijackers deliberation their scheme is going disconnected without a hitch. Not so! They whitethorn person planned retired really to get guns past airdrome information and really to subdue nan terrified passengers, but there's 1 personification they did not relationship for: Sam Nelson (Elba).

Hijack's Sam Nelson is an contiguous TV MVP.

Sam is simply a business negotiator, a uncover Hijack treats for illustration it's nan astir badass point ever, and arsenic nan show's 7 episodes play out, you'll honestly statesman to judge it is. That's because Sam delivers a masterclass successful really to maneuver retired of a seemingly intolerable situation. He could (and often does) person a weapon pointed astatine his face, and he could still squirm retired of it and have his assailant deliberation he's connected his side. That's nan powerfulness of Sam Nelson — and Idris Elba.

When Sam realizes what's going on, he instantly jumps into Master Negotiator mode. He pretends he wants to thief nan hijackers, saying each he cares astir is getting location safely to his family. And while that past connection is technically true — Sam does want to reconcile pinch his estranged woman Marsha (Christine Adams) and his boy Kai (Jude Cudjoe) — there's nary measurement successful hellhole Sam wants to spot these hijackers succeed. He originates to slow worm his measurement into their trust, each while steadily moving against them. It's a joyousness to watch, particularly acknowledgment to Elba's knack for putting his adversaries successful their place. Quite often, he'll show nan hijackers that they're going astir nan hijack nan incorrect way, and he's ever right! Thank goodness Sam became a business negotiator, because I person a emotion he'd beryllium a very effective criminal.

On apical of his verbal manipulation, Sam employs a number of different extra-satisfying techniques to enactment connected apical of things. From nan plane's gaming strategy to a chap passenger's boxed water, thing tin beryllium a instrumentality successful Sam's arsenal. His inventive, real-time problem solving skills are nary uncertainty Hijack's top pleasure.

That's not to opportunity Hijack is devoid of different thrills. The show ratchets up nan hostility throughout, particularly successful an anxiety-inducing standoff pinch Romanian combatant jets and a bloody aesculapian emergency. Watching characters connected nan crushed scramble to prevention nan time proves a bully complement to nan in-flight sequences, particularly arsenic they statesman to put together nan pieces of what's happened to nan hijacked aircraft.

Yet passim it all, it's Sam (and Elba, naturally) who remains nan bosom of Hijack. In an water of panic, some from nan hostages and nan hostage-takers, he is simply a level-headed authority fig who'd consciousness correct astatine location successful a awesome '90s thriller. If I were ever stuck successful a hostage situation, I know I'd want Sam successful my area — but for now, I'll gladly settee for watching his exploits connected my TV.

Hijack is now streaming connected Apple TV+.

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