What would you do, if if you had to chose between the safety of a planeload of passengers and a loved one? That’s the predicament facing Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 7500, his first major on-screen role since 2016, as airline pilot Tobias Ellis. Tobias’s routine flight from Berlin to Paris, almost boring in it’s mundanity, is interrupted when a group of hijackers try and force their way into the cockpit midair. With no idea what’s happening in the main cabin except what he can see on small a small screen linked to a camera above the cockpit door, will Tobias follow procedure and keep the door locked, even though a loved one is in the cabin with the rest of the passengers?
“Thank You for Your Trust in Us”
In a stroke of production genius, 7500 (the worldwide aircraft transponder code for a hijacking) is set almost entirely within the confines of the plane’s cockpit. Writer/director Patrick Vollrath’s drama never losses focus on Tobias’ predicament, with the camera never leaving the cockpit to get to know the hijackers. There aren’t even any cutaways to the outside of the plane! It’s all too easy to empathize with Tobias as he watches in disbelief and horror as events on the other side of the cockpit door, all on his tiny screen.
There’s no chance of developing Stockholm Syndrome here. For the majority of the film you have no idea of the hijackers personalities or goals. All you can tell from their shouting and incessant banging on the cockpit door is that they want in.
“Ladies and Gentlemen This Is Your Pilot Speaking…”
While telling the entire film’s story from the cockpit is an interesting choice, giving Gordon-Levitt plenty of opportunities to stretch his acting legs, the film doesn’t feel quite as engaging as maybe it should. It doesn’t manage to induce the same kind of apprehension as the recent airborne Netflix drama Into The Night for example.
One reason for this might be due to the production style used for of the film. According to Gordon-Levitt himself:
“The director, Patrick Vollrath’s shooting style is different than anything I’d done before, highly geared towards the actors being able to fully immerse themselves in the story. We wouldn’t stick to script, wouldn’t stick to marks, would just leave the camera rolling and stay in character for these long stretches of time. It was extremely challenging, but deeply rewarding. “
Joseph Gordon-levitt (Facebook)
While this approach makes 7500 feel exceedingly raw and real, it robs it of some tension.
Despite some slight character development for the hijackers in the third act, it doesn’t quite live up to other hijack dramas like Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips from 2013 either.
“Passengers Fasten Your Seat-Belts”
Combined with the almost humdrum opening of the film, as the pilots run through their take-off procedures, the realism given to the proceedings by the shooting style isn’t quite enough to sustain the film. This commitment to the real culminates in an ending whose authenticity is matched only by its bleakness.
Gordon-Levitt carries the film single-handedly with some support from Omid Memar as a somewhat sympathetic terrorist. As one of the other terrorists Paul Wollin manages to convey a chilling sense of menace through nothing but the small screen in the cockpit.
Despite it’s smart production design and solid performances, 7500 is a slightly predictable hijack drama. Once a certain relationship is revealed, it’s pretty clear how things will end and the film never tries to upset those expectations.
Hijack movies have, rightly so, fallen out of favour since 9/11. With the last major one being the so-so 7 Days in Entebbe from 2018, it doesn’t look like 7500 will buck that trend.
7500
92 mins
Director: Patrick Vollrath
Writer: Patrick Vollrath and Senad Halilbasic (co-writer)
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Omid Memar, Aylin Tezel, Carlo Kitzlinger, and Paul Wollin
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