Hijack
Hijack
Now Showing

Hijack

"Who can you trust when it's all on the line?"

7.5
Yr 2023
Status Returning Series
Drama
Your Verdict
Unrated

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Series Brief

Overview

Expert negotiator Sam Nelson is in for the ride of his life—and so is everyone on board with him—after a group of hijackers take control. Sam will try every move in his playbook to take them down...as the stakes grow higher by the second.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 75 /100

Hijack received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised its fast-paced, real-time momentum and strong lead performance by Idris Elba. Reviewers widely highlighted Elba's charismatic screen presence as the linchpin that grounds the narrative, helping make the mid-air problem-solving both tense and engaging despite occasional stretches of logic.

While most agreed the series delivers an entertaining and slick binge-watching experience, some critics pointed to flaws in its pacing and structure. Several outlets noted that stretching a classic airplane hostage premise across seven episodes occasionally resulted in a bloated runtime, uneven character development, and a somewhat underwhelming finale, even as the ticking-clock format kept viewers on edge.

“Hijack hits the summer TV limited-series sweet spot thanks to its ticking-clock premise and strong performances.”

“He is the rock on which seven hours of brilliant, bingeable nonsense are based”

“Were it not for, you know, its terror-at-35,000-feet concept, Apple TV+’s Hijack would be the TV equivalent of a classic plane read: slick, exciting, unfussy.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Apple TV
US • CA • UK
Apple TV Amazon Channel
US • CA • UK
Why fans love it

The tension in this drama relies on a claustrophobic setting. By trapping characters inside a commercial airplane for seven hours, the storytelling creates a rigid environment where every movement is scrutinized. Idris Elba plays Sam Nelson, a negotiator forced to rely on his wits rather than weapons while confined among the passengers.

The show prioritizes the mechanics of a crisis unfolding in real time. Rather than relying on flashbacks or disconnected subplots, the narrative keeps the focus on the immediate friction between the hijackers and their hostages. This structural choice highlights the psychological pressure of a controlled environment and the escalating stakes when a train and other external factors intersect with the flight path.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 19
Longest run 15 eps
Idris Elba
Idris Elba
as Sam Nelson
15 episodes
Neil Maskell
Neil Maskell
as Stuart Atterton
11 episodes
Eve Myles
Eve Myles
as Alice Sinclair
7 episodes
Christine Adams
Christine Adams
as Marsha Smith-Nelson
13 episodes
Christian Näthe
Christian Näthe
as Otto Weber
8 episodes
Max Beesley
Max Beesley
as Daniel O'Farrell
14 episodes
Archie Panjabi
Archie Panjabi
as Zahra Gahfoor
11 episodes
Clare-Hope Ashitey
Clare-Hope Ashitey
as Olivia Thatcher
8 episodes
Show 67 more
Ben Miles as Captain Robin Allen 7 episodes Lisa Vicari as Clara Berger 8 episodes Hattie Morahan as Louise 7 episodes Neil Stuke as Home Secretary Neil Walsh 7 episodes Kaisa Hammarlund as First Officer Anna Kovacs 7 episodes Dejan Bućin as Zoran Beck 8 episodes Zora Bishop as Deevia Khan 7 episodes Jeremy Ang Jones as Arthur 7 episodes Jasmine Bayes as Mei Tan 8 episodes Kate Phillips as Colette Fisher 7 episodes Jasper Britton as Terry 7 episodes Jack McMullen as Lewis Atterton 7 episodes Aimee Kelly as Jamie Constantinou 7 episodes Mohamed Elsandel as Jaden 7 episodes Ian Burfield as John Bailey-Brown 8 episodes Justin Salinger as Alec 7 episodes Holly Aird as Amanda 7 episodes Nasser Memarzia as Yussuf 7 episodes Gretchen Egolf as Adelaide 7 episodes Fatima Adoum as Rashida 7 episodes Harry Michell as Hugo 7 episodes Jaimi Barbakoff as Susie 7 episodes Alexis Zegerman as Miranda 6 episodes Paul Hickey as Gary 7 episodes Grant Burgin as Eddie 7 episodes Richard Hope as Philip Paxton 5 episodes Julia Deakin as Claire Paxton 5 episodes Jack Parry-Jones as Kelvin 7 episodes Nebras Jamali as Nasir 7 episodes Mei Henri as Naomi 7 episodes Chantelle Alle as Kacey 7 episodes Cecilia Appiah as Mona 7 episodes James Burrows as Jonty 7 episodes Marcus Garvey as David Miller 7 episodes Rochenda Sandall as Kate Miller 7 episodes Lucia Aliu as Lizzy Miller 7 episodes Kyan Battick as Freddie Miller 7 episodes Liz Kingsman as Sheena 5 episodes Antonia Salib as Leesha 7 episodes Verity Henry as Kelly-Ann 7 episodes Jude Cudjoe as Kai 6 episodes James Barriscale as Simon 6 episodes Camilla Beeput as Heidi 6 episodes Hanora Kamen as Carmella 6 episodes Tom Bonington as Michael 6 episodes Thomas Kitsche as Timo Dönitz 6 episodes Sasha Carberry Sharma as Fran 8 episodes Eysteinn Sigurdarson as Anders 8 episodes Matt Mordak as Pavel 6 episodes Gabrielle Scharnitzky as Petra 7 episodes Herbert Forthuber as Stefan 7 episodes Jessica Hardwick as Mansell 7 episodes Jamie Michie as Gold 7 episodes Andy Gätjen as Edward Diehl 8 episodes Langston Uibel as Colin 8 episodes Felix Mayr as Lukas 7 episodes Paddy Holland as George 8 episodes Isobel Imade as Rebecca 8 episodes Gretchen Mae Bean as Tania 8 episodes Daniel Fritz as Frohms 6 episodes Sam Sharma as Linder 6 episodes Toby Jones as Peter Faber 7 episodes Christiane Paul as Ada Winter 7 episodes Christian Berkel as Roland Murnau 7 episodes Karima McAdams as Jess 7 episodes Arsher Ali as Robert Lang 6 episodes Ellie McKay as Orla 8 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Visual Effects Production Manager
Drew Jones
Director
Mo Ali Shaun James Grant Jim Field Smith
Stunt Coordinator
Jo McLaren
Executive Producer
Idris Elba Hakan Kousetta Jim Field Smith Tom Nash
Original Music Composer
Anne Nikitin
Writer
Chris Dunlop Jim Field Smith Fred Armesto James Dormer Emer Kenny Guy Bolton Catherine Moulton Adam Gyngell
Editor
David Webb Natasha Wilkinson Robert Frost
Creator
Jim Field Smith George Kay
Producer
Peter Heslop
Costume Supervisor
Andrea Fiquitiva
Director of Photography
Ed Moore
Casting
Amy Hubbard
Production Design
Andrew Purcell
Second Assistant Camera
Kristi Gilligan
Costume Design
Colleen Morris-Glennon
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Hijack overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

london, england airplane hijacking autopilot investigation flight dubai airplane hijacking train terrorism ex-wife air traffic control terrorist plot flight attendant negotiator air traffic controller airplane pilot airplane flight airplane passenger thriller
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
June 28, 2023
Status
Returning Series
Origin
GB
TMDB Votes
876