[Review] 7500 (2019) {7/10}

7500 is a Thriller about an airplane hijacking that stars Joseph Gordon - Levitt as a Pilot and is Directed by Patrick Vollrath. Violence is intense. American co-pilot Tobias (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) takes his seat in the cockpit of a flight out of Berlin. Flight attendant Gökce (Aylin Tezel) sneaks in for a quick chat about their daughter. They have agreed to keep their relationship secret while working. The captain, Michael (Carlo Kitzlinger), arrives, and the pre-flight check is mostly normal. But not long after takeoff, a group of glass knife-wielding terrorists hijacks the plane. One gets into the cockpit and attacks both Michael and Tobias. Tobias knocks his attacker unconscious but both him and Michael were wounded in the process. Unfortunately, Michael dies because of his injuries. Other terrorists start threatening hostages, one after the other, in order to gain access to the cockpit. Unfortunately for Tobias, Gökce becomes one of the hostages. Then a chain of events follows and all the terrorists ended up dead while Tobias lands the plane safely but it costs him a lot.

This thriller uses constricted space and realistic details to generate intense suspense, but at the same time, delivers the sobering, tragic seriousness of the situation. A strong feature debut by director/co-writer Patrick Vollrath, 7500 is incredibly, set entirely inside the cockpit and focused entirely on Gordon-Levitt, who gives an exhaustively impressive physical and emotional performance. The movie begins with the pilots going through ordinary routine. This everyday tone helps establish that a hijacking isn't popcorn-movie fare, and that we shouldn't expect giddy, enjoyable thrills. After the initial attack, Vollrath establishes a sickening dread as Tobias recovers and regroups to the sound of violent hammering on the cockpit door, which lasts for many minutes. With a twisted chain of events, the movie delivers something that most of us never expected while watching.

7500 is a wrenching, bracing experience. You will be dissapointed if you are looking for deep and thought provoking elements in the movie but it is a movie that keeps the viewers at the edge of the seat. However, it might leave you thinking about the significance of life.

7500 is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.