Critic Reviews
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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.
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A gripping 24-style escapist thriller. [3 - 23 Jul 2023, p.6]
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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.
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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.
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A lightweight but irresistible new thriller from Apple TV+.
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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.
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While early episodes are a little too slow-paced, “Hijack” grows more engrossing over its run.
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Created by George Kay (“Lupin”), the tightly wound seven-episode series doesn’t waste a moment. It’s a shot of pure adrenaline.
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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.
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“Hijack” doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it’s an expert example of how to make it feel fresh and palpable.
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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.
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It may not be first class, but Hijack is certainly not the budget airline equivalent of summer streaming fare.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 7 out of 15
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Mixed: 4 out of 15
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Negative: 4 out of 15
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Jul 4, 2023It's a different type of show that I normally watch but still an amazing show.
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Aug 29, 2023Will Idris Elba save this show plagued by an absurd scenario that offends the intellect of most viewers?
Sorry... No. -
Aug 12, 2023