Hijack (2023)
TV show · 2023 · Drama · English
Curator score: 4.5/10 (92.6K ratings)
Tagline: Who can you trust when it's all on the line?
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.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 4.5/10
- IMDb: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
- Metacritic: 65
- TMDB: 7.6/10
Production: Green Door Pictures, 60Forty Films, Idiotlamp Productions
Cast: Idris Elba, Christine Adams, Christian Näthe, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Lisa Vicari, Dejan Bućin, Jasmine Bayes
Where to watch: Apple TV Plus
Curator Review
Verdict: A slick, high-concept thriller with a strong central performance and excellent real-time tension, but it can feel stretched and mechanically repetitive over a full season. Best enjoyed as a propulsive, popcorn suspense ride rather than a deeply layered drama.
Best for: Viewers who like claustrophobic, high-stakes thrillers; Fans of real-time or near-real-time storytelling; People who want a charismatic lead carrying a tense ensemble piece; Apple TV+ suspense dramas with a polished, cinematic feel
Skip if: You want airtight realism and procedural logic; You prefer slower, more character-driven prestige drama; You get impatient with repeated cliffhangers and escalating complications; You want a complete limited series without the possibility of diminishing returns
Overview: Hijack is built on a simple, effective engine: a plane in crisis, a negotiator trapped among strangers, and a ticking clock that keeps tightening. Idris Elba gives it the kind of grounded authority that makes the premise work, and the show knows how to stage a crisis with clean, efficient suspense. When it’s focused on pressure, movement, and split-second decisions, it’s very watchable.
Worth noting: The tradeoff is that the concept can start to feel overextended. The series leans hard on momentum and reversals, sometimes at the expense of deeper character work or plausibility. That doesn’t kill the fun, but it does make the show feel more like a premium thriller exercise than a fully satisfying prestige drama.
Bottom line: If you’re in the mood for a tense, fast-moving binge with a strong lead and a contained setup, it delivers. If you need emotional depth, intricate plotting, or a thriller that stays fresh all the way through, it’s more uneven than essential.
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For viewers who enjoy procedural tension and interrogation-driven suspense, this is a gold standard.
Topics: thriller, suspense, hostage, contained setting, real-time tension, high-stakes, prestige drama, bingeable, claustrophobic, action
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/tv-show/hijack/198102
Hijack (2023)
TV show · 2023 · Drama · English
Curator score: 4.5/10 (92.6K ratings)
Who can you trust when it's all on the line?
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.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.5/10
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Metacritic: 65
TMDB: 7.6/10
Production Green Door Pictures, 60Forty Films, Idiotlamp Productions
Cast Idris Elba, Christine Adams, Christian Näthe, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Lisa Vicari, Dejan Bućin, Jasmine Bayes
Where to watch Apple TV Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A slick, high-concept thriller with a strong central performance and excellent real-time tension, but it can feel stretched and mechanically repetitive over a full season. Best enjoyed as a propulsive, popcorn suspense ride rather than a deeply layered drama.
Best for
Viewers who like claustrophobic, high-stakes thrillers
Fans of real-time or near-real-time storytelling
People who want a charismatic lead carrying a tense ensemble piece
Apple TV+ suspense dramas with a polished, cinematic feel
Skip if
You want airtight realism and procedural logic
You prefer slower, more character-driven prestige drama
You get impatient with repeated cliffhangers and escalating complications
You want a complete limited series without the possibility of diminishing returns
Overview
Hijack is built on a simple, effective engine: a plane in crisis, a negotiator trapped among strangers, and a ticking clock that keeps tightening. Idris Elba gives it the kind of grounded authority that makes the premise work, and the show knows how to stage a crisis with clean, efficient suspense. When it’s focused on pressure, movement, and split-second decisions, it’s very watchable.
Worth noting
The tradeoff is that the concept can start to feel overextended. The series leans hard on momentum and reversals, sometimes at the expense of deeper character work or plausibility. That doesn’t kill the fun, but it does make the show feel more like a premium thriller exercise than a fully satisfying prestige drama.
Bottom line
If you’re in the mood for a tense, fast-moving binge with a strong lead and a contained setup, it delivers. If you need emotional depth, intricate plotting, or a thriller that stays fresh all the way through, it’s more uneven than essential.
Recommended similar titles
2001 · Curator 9.8/10 (208.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, Sun Nxt
The definitive real-time pressure cooker: constant escalation, ticking-clock momentum, and a lead forced to improvise under extreme pressure.
2018 · Curator 7.9/10 (170.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
A tense British thriller anchored by a strong central performance, political danger, and relentless suspense.
2023 · Curator 5.9/10 (160.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Fast-moving conspiracy thriller with accessible pacing, cliffhangers, and a binge-friendly structure.
2016 · Curator 1.6/10 (1.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
High-concept crisis drama built around a single catastrophic event and the scramble to respond under pressure.
2020 · Curator 7.4/10 (67.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A propulsive, twisty thriller that mixes danger, paranoia, and a lead character trapped in escalating chaos.
2023 · Curator 8.4/10 (97.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
If you like smart, high-stakes negotiation and crisis management, this offers sharper political dialogue and sustained tension.
2023 · Curator 7.9/10 (213.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Apple TV Plus
A sleek, claustrophobic mystery with a contained environment, mounting secrets, and strong binge appeal.
2004 · Curator 8.8/10 (674.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, fuboTV
Ensemble survival drama with constant danger, shifting alliances, and a strong sense of mystery and momentum.
2022 · Curator 2.7/10 (127.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads
A muscular, mission-driven thriller with relentless pacing and a lead character operating under extreme pressure.
2018 · Curator 5.7/10 (193.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads
A polished action-thriller series that favors crisis escalation, globe-trotting danger, and accessible suspense.
2019 · Curator 7.4/10 (33.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
A paranoid, modern conspiracy thriller that keeps tightening the screws through surveillance, deception, and mistrust.
2012 · Curator 9.3/10 (80.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Acorn TV, BritBox, Spectrum On Demand, Acorn TV Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus, Pluto TV, Plex, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads, Tubi TV
For viewers who enjoy procedural tension and interrogation-driven suspense, this is a gold standard.
Topics
thriller, suspense, hostage, contained setting, real-time tension, high-stakes, prestige drama, bingeable, claustrophobic, action
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