Hijack
Apple TV | Release Date: June 28, 2023
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 39 Critic Reviews
Positive:
23
Mixed:
16
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
iJulia RaesideJan 14, 2026
Season 2 Review: The performances are pitch perfect and the script is sparing while never being so enigmatic you can’t keep up with the fast-moving story. Hijack is a class act, guaranteed to keep you guessing but never at the expense of the world it creates. Read full review
83
TVLineDave NemetzJun 16, 2023
Season 1 Review: The real star here is the tension that gradually builds from episode to episode, finding genuine human drama in a confined space. Sometimes when you’re making great TV, less space is more. Read full review
80
DeciderJoel KellerJan 14, 2026
Season 2 Review: Things take a little while to develop in the first episode of Hijack‘s second season. But once we learned exactly what was going on, we were locked back into what we expect to be a fast-paced season, with the usual excellent performance from Idris Elba. Read full review
80
RogerEbert.comSherin NicoleJan 14, 2026
Season 2 Review: “Hijack” is an intensely watchable series that keeps your attention and anxiety up. It may not be as iconic as “Die Hard,” but it understands the thrill of the chase and has enough momentum to punch our ticket for Season 3. Read full review
80
The GuardianLucy ManganJan 13, 2026
Season 2 Review: If you’ve tuned in for one minute, you’ll be there for them all. So enjoy, and I’ll see you again at the end of what promises to be another rollicking ride. Read full review
80
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushJun 29, 2023
Season 1 Review: A gripping 24-style escapist thriller. [3 - 23 Jul 2023, p.6]
80
DeciderJoel KellerJun 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: Hijack makes sure the tension stays high while not taking leaps in logic. Combine the tight writing with the compelling lead performance from Idris Elba and you have a show that gets us leaning forward in our chairs, and that says a lot. Read full review
80
The GuardianLucy ManganJun 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: Narrative seeds are sown, allowed to ripen and harvested at just the right moment. It works like clockwork without the (plentiful) larger twists being predictable. Read full review
80
The TelegraphAnita Singh Jun 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: A lightweight but irresistible new thriller from Apple TV+. Read full review
80
EmpireBoyd HiltonJun 22, 2023
Season 1 Review: An instantly enthralling aeroplane-set thriller which deploys its real-time format to ratchet up the tension to the max, while providing Idris Elba with one of his most satisfying roles so far. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubBrian TallericoJan 14, 2026
Season 2 Review: This episode moves at an excellent pace, coming in relatively short compared to bloated streaming shows and introducing us to the players and four settings—train, embassy, control center, Marsha’s cabin—that will probably shape the season. Let’s hope the pace continues or the questions about whether or not this sophomore outing justifies its existence will only grow louder. Read full review
75
Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewRob OwenJun 29, 2023
Season 1 Review: While early episodes are a little too slow-paced, “Hijack” grows more engrossing over its run. Read full review
75
The Mercury NewsRandy MyersJun 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: Created by George Kay (“Lupin”), the tightly wound seven-episode series doesn’t waste a moment. It’s a shot of pure adrenaline. Read full review
75
USA TodayKelly LawlerJun 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: So many series on TV right now are overlong, overserious, overcomplicated and overly dull. “Hijack” is no more or less than it needs to be. It jolts you awake and takes the passivity out of TV-watching. It captures your attention. No − it hijacks it. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleBob StraussJun 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: “Hijack” doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it’s an expert example of how to make it feel fresh and palpable. Read full review
75
CNNBrian LowryJun 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: Crisp and tense, the seven-episode Apple TV+ series overcomes its slightly claustrophobic premise in a show unlikely to ever be offered as in-flight entertainment. Read full review
72
Paste MagazineRory DohertyJun 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: It may not be first class, but Hijack is certainly not the budget airline equivalent of summer streaming fare. Read full review
70
Rolling StoneAlan SepinwallJun 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: The shorter season length, and the confined space in which Sam, the hijackers, and the other passengers are stuck together for the duration, works wonders in keeping the tension high, without requiring the sort of silly contortions 24 so often had to try in order to fill so much time. More importantly, Hijack has Idris Elba. Read full review
67
The PlaylistChase HutchinsonJun 16, 2023
Season 1 Review: Even as “Hijack” on the whole isn’t always on the level of these two actors [Idris Elba and Neil Maskell], the moments where they have room to work together make this often turbulent series feel more like a rollicking thrill ride. Read full review
65
The Daily BeastNick SchagerJan 6, 2026
Season 2 Review: There’s only so much the headliner can do to enliven a story that builds on its predecessor in predictable ways, and whose thrills, as before, are mitigated by an eight-episode, six-and-a-half-hour length that routinely dampens the action’s power. Read full review
63
The Mercury NewsRandy MyersJan 14, 2026
Season 2 Review: Like its predecessor, “Hijack” is a fun escapist thrill-ride, though it does go off the rails and sticks too closely to the same playbook as Season 1 — trading air passengers for Berlin train commuters. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoJun 27, 2023
Season 1 Review: A show that’s consistently interesting but never quite as engaging as it should be, largely because of how many characters it tries to bring onto this overbooked flight. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineRoss McIndoeJun 16, 2023
Season 1 Review: Like many modern television shows, Hijack probably should have been a feature film, a format that’s a more natural fit for this brand of claustrophobic thriller. .... While it can be a little ungainly in its execution, though, Hijack succeeds simply by being a volume shooter. Read full review
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