Code 7500 - Un avion en détresse

7500 (2019) starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt is not your average thriller/action movie. Where other movies would have shootouts, a bomb go off, the engines fail, or someone sucked out of an open window, 7500 is more realistic. Sure, seeing some reviews about how ATC's demeanor is off or the plane details are wrong is fair. But that is missing the point. A group of Islamic terrorists are attempting to hijack a plane during a standard flight from Berlin to Paris and American first officer Tobias Ellis is the only one who can avert disaster. This movie keeps you on the edge of your seat if you allow it to and is very good.

I fly the A319/320/321. Whoever consulted on the film did a good job, and incorporated realism to how the airplane is flown. That constant beating on the door is also accurate. It won't open unless someone lets you in.

I was surprised to see this movie only has a 6.3 rating. I think audiences are too used to the same clichéd story structure we see in pretty much all action movies; the villain causes mayhem, the protagonist underdog steps-up, and against all odds defeats the evil, saves the day, is reunited with their love interest, and walks off a hero... roll credits. This movie challenges that cliché, and it does it in a brutal fashion. It's much more of a psychological-action movie than a classic action movie. There are no epic fight scenes, courageous last second acts of heroism or sudden unexpected plot twists. It's completely raw, "how would a post 9/11 airplane hijacking scenario unfold in real life conditions?". And that's exactly what you get, with almost no sugar-coating. That's not to say that the movie doesn't conform to some clichés, but the brutal and harrowing reality it portrays is akin to a movie based on real events, yet this is completely fictional. To say the ending is abrupt is an understatement, I certainly had a "wait, what?" moment. But in hindsight, it's actually very fitting with the narrative of the movie. There's definitely a huge psychological element that will leave you feeling very uneasy and claustrophobic, but I personally praise it for its raw and unforgiving depiction of how a real-life hijacking could potentially play out.

7.5/10.

"7500" develops anticipation and builds tension from the opening frames, simulating authentic security camera footage of terrorists getting through airport security, and onto a German airline passenger jet headed to Paris. Once aboard the plane, Vollrath uses a real-time linear scene structure (similar to Mendes' "1917") from the viewpoint of the cockpit and the American co-pilot played with understated perfection by Gorden-Levitt. The film takes hold of the viewer and doesn't let go - the entire film plays like a reenactment of actual events (this is fictional). A fantastic 1st film effort by German Screenwriter/Director Patrick Vollrath.

I'm reviewing this film based on what I believe the filmmakers wanted to achieve by making it, a gritty claustrophobic real-life account of the brutal hijacking of a commercial airline. And that is exactly what I saw, this is not a Hollywood film nor does it have a big budget but that's exactly why it works. One has to look at this film for what it is and not what you may be expecting it to be. If you look at this film solely from the point of view of the co-piolet which is what the film is about then you'll understand that it's not trying to tell a political story or give you insight to why people hijack planes. The runtime is 90 minutes and I was never bored during this entire time. I felt every emotion the protagonist felt and I was totally involved in his plight. No film is perfect and this film is no exception but it made a favourable impression on me that I felt the need to leave a review. This is a little gem of a film and definitely worth 90 minutes of your life if you like these small gritty intense sorts of films. Most of the negative reviews are based on opinions that have nothing to do with storytelling. I would bet that nearly all of the negative reviews came from people who didn't actually watch the film.