Apple TV Plus is enjoying a remarkable year from a TV show perspective – and now, the streaming platform has another big hitter on its hands.
Hijack, a new thriller starring Idris Elba (Thor, Luther) only launched on Apple TV Plus on June 28. However, it's quickly become the talk of TV land, with viewers finding themselves hooked on the series and desperate for new episodes to arrive as soon as possible.
For the uninitiated, in Hijack, Elba plays Sam Nelson, a business negotiator who finds himself caught up in a plane hijacking on a seven-hour trip from Dubai to London. An ordinary man in an extraordinary situation, Nelson tries to use his skills to attempt to broker a peaceful end to the perilous and tense stand-off.
So far, so generic, right? Not quite. Hijack plays out like a high-altitude version of classic action-drama series 24. Like the hit Kiefer Sutherland-starring TV show, Hijack's seven, 60-minute-long episodes occur in real time, meaning audiences will get to see every suspense-filled moment play out on the screen.
So far, only two episodes of Hijack have aired on one of the world's best streaming services. Even so, fans and critics alike have hailed Hijack as a superb addition to Apple TV Plus' back catalog.
Currently, the series holds a 92% certified 'fresh' rating on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. That score drops to 80% from a general audience member standpoint. But, given the level of streaming competition Hijack is up against this week – The Witcher season 3 volume 1 on Netflix, Warrior season 3 on Max, and Jack Ryan season 4 on Prime Video – its early success shouldn't be sniffed at.
Viewers have taken to the internet to give their largely positive verdicts on the show, too. On ResetEra, user 2pac_71 said they were "hooked" on Hijack, while rsfour said they would have streamed the whole series if it had dropped in full.
Meanwhile, over on Reddit, nightfan said it was "fantastic", producermaddy proclaimed it "gave me so much anxiety but it was so good", and chargingblue hailed Elba's charisma as "next level".
#Hijack First 2 episodes released in @AppleTV It doesn’t feel like another flight hijack.. this show feels unique. Engaging each & every minute of episode.. many characters played a little cameo 👏🏻👌🏻@idriselba the show stealer 🔥💥 pic.twitter.com/gPapWfFp72June 28, 2023
For all the positive reactions to Hijack, there are some who don't see what all the fuss is about. On ResetEra, Katana_Strikes revealed they couldn't make it past the 34-minute mark due to story issues. As for Reddit, LolaT99 called the first two episodes a "disappointing start", South-Caramel claimed it was "terrible and cheesy", and flamingtongue called it "pretty eh".
Still, if you're willing to suspend your disbelief as Redditor Nikolai197 suggests, you might have a good time with Hijack. And who knows? If the series *ahem* sticks the landing, it'll *double ahem* fly its way on our best Apple TV Plus shows list.
If it does, it'll join a raft of other top-tier series on Apple's streaming platform. Those include *deep breath* Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Silo, Black Bird, Severance, Foundation, For All Mankind, Servant, The Afterparty, Platonic, and Pachinko.
For more Apple TV Plus-based coverage, read up on everything we know about Foundation season 2 and Severance season 2. Alternatively, find out what the best Apple TV Plus movies are and if there's a free Apple TV Plus trial.
