Idris Elba’s plane thriller ‘Hijack’ is the perfect summer binge
When it comes to fun, late-summer thrillers, Idris Elba knows exactly what we want. In 2022, he starred in the awesome wilderness survival flick Beast, which saw him straight-up punch a lion in the face. (It was glorious.) In 2023, Elba continues his streak of nail-biting summer stories with the Apple TV+ series Hijack.
Following a plane hijacking that plays out in real-time, Hijack is the perfect show to watch if you want to get sucked into a mildly ridiculous, yet totally engrossing scenario. You’ll squeal as our heroes brave danger, swoon at Elba’s charisma, and even chuckle at some choice one-liners. And with all of Season 1 currently streaming, you won’t have to worry about the show’s most suspenseful cliffhangers. Just press play, fasten your seatbelt, and take off into the high-octane thrill ride that is Hijack.
Hijack delivers suspense at 35,000 feet.
Hijack opens with what seems like a normal plane flight: Flight attendants welcome everyone on board, co-pilots prepare for departure, passengers settle in for the seven-hour trip from Dubai to London. Little do they know that they’re in for one bumpy ride.
Not long after the plane gets in the air, a group of gun-toting hijackers take over. They threaten the pilot (Ben Miles) and cut off passengers’ ability to communicate with the outside world, but not before a distress signal gets out. It’s just enough to get the ball rolling on the ground, mobilizing a group of politicians and air traffic controllers to try to figure out what the hijackers’ demands are, how to respond, and how to prevent an airborne tragedy.
Up in the air, the hijackers think their plan is going off without a hitch. Not so! They may have planned out how to get guns past airport security and how to subdue the terrified passengers, but there’s one person they did not account for: Sam Nelson (Elba).
Hijack’s Sam Nelson is an immediate TV MVP.
Sam is a business negotiator, a reveal Hijack treats like it’s the most badass thing ever, and as the show’s seven episodes play out, you’ll honestly begin to believe it is. That’s because Sam delivers a masterclass in how to maneuver out of a seemingly impossible situation. He could (and often does) have a gun pointed at his face, and he could still squirm out of it and have his assailant think he’s on his side. That’s the power of Sam Nelson — and Idris Elba.
When Sam realizes what’s going on, he immediately jumps into Master Negotiator mode. He pretends he wants to help the hijackers, saying all he cares about is getting home safely to his family. And while that last statement is technically true — Sam does want to reconcile with his estranged wife Marsha (Christine Adams) and his son Kai (Jude Cudjoe) — there’s no way in hell Sam wants to see these hijackers succeed. He begins to slowly worm his way into their trust, all while steadily working against them. It’s a joy to watch, especially thanks to Elba’s knack for putting his adversaries in their place. Quite often, he’ll tell the hijackers that they’re going about the hijack the wrong way, and he’s always right! Thank goodness Sam became a business negotiator, because I have a feeling he’d be a very effective criminal.
On top of his verbal manipulation, Sam employs a number of other extra-satisfying techniques to stay on top of things. From the plane’s gaming system to a fellow passenger’s boxed water, anything can be a tool in Sam’s arsenal. His inventive, real-time problem solving skills are no doubt Hijack‘s greatest pleasure.
That’s not to say Hijack is devoid of other thrills. The show ratchets up the tension throughout, especially in an anxiety-inducing standoff with Romanian fighter jets and a bloody medical emergency. Watching characters on the ground scramble to save the day proves a nice complement to the in-flight sequences, especially as they begin to put together the pieces of what’s happened to the hijacked aircraft.
Yet throughout it all, it’s Sam (and Elba, naturally) who remains the heart of Hijack. In an ocean of panic, both from the hostages and the hostage-takers, he is a level-headed authority figure who’d feel right at home in a great ’90s thriller. If I were ever stuck in a hostage situation, I know I’d want Sam in my corner — but for now, I’ll gladly settle for watching his exploits on my TV.