Idris Elba as Sam Nelson in Hijack. Picture: Supplied
IF YOU are in the mood for an edge-of-your-seat thriller, then the upcoming Apple TV+ series “Hijack” is worth adding to your binge-watch list.
That the show is helmed by Idris Elba, who also shares the executive producer credits, is incentive enough for fans to tune in.
And, let’s be honest, when you think of action offerings, you can’t go wrong with Elba. He is one of the most bankable talents in the industry.
In this offering, Sam Nelson (Elba) is headed back to London on a flight from Dubai. As is par for the course with airports, flights and boarding, there are pockets of drama posed by passengers grappling with their own so-called emergency before take-off.
Such is the chaos on board the flight as everyone settles in for the several-hour flight. But there is a glitch – terrorists take over and they order the captain to open the cockpit by blackmailing him.
Meanwhile, Sam gets a message to his family before all devices are removed from the passengers. It’s a bit of a cryptic one but, upon further investigation by the right people, becomes a serious cause for concern.
As for the terrified passengers on-board, some, feeling recklessly heroic, plot to overthrow the hijackers. Sam, however, observes everyone.
And, given his skills as a negotiator, he works on how best to save lives by bending the ear of one of the hijackers. Or, at least, he attempts to do so.
But he knows that remaining calm is key in what could easily devolve into a mass casualty situation.
In the interim, key individuals in London and Dubai look into inconsistencies in the false alarm that was raised. And it leads down a murky and worrisome path.
The offering is underpinned by the talented cast of Archie Panjabi, Max Beesley, Ben Miles, Aimee Kelly, Mohamed Elsandel and Neil Maskell.
There is nothing straightforward about the series. It is so cleverly written that streamers are thrown for a loop in every episode.
Masterfully directed, every episode leans heavily into the emotions that come with being in a life-threatening situation, where logic is overruled by desperation.
“Hijack” is a terrifying ride but you won’t be able to look away.