About the film (courtesy of Amazon Studios):
It looks like a routine day at work for Tobias (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a soft-spoken young American co-pilot on a flight from Berlin to Paris as he runs through the preflight checklist the pilot (Carlo Kitzlinger). But shortly after takeoff, terrorists armed with makeshift knives suddenly storm the cockpit. Temporarily managing to fend off the attackers, a terrified Tobias contacts ground control to plan an emergency landing. But when the hijackers kill a passenger and threaten to murder more innocent people if he doesn’t let them back into the cockpit, this ordinary man faces an excruciating test.
7500 is a low-budget, high altitude airline thriller that provides an adequate amount of tension and drama despite being absent of mainstream acting talent besides Joseph Gordon-Levitt, of course. This is the directorial debut for Patrick Vollrath, who gives audiences a realistic look into what being in an unimaginable terrorist situation must feel like. Even though the story is told through a smaller scope, it doesn’t make it any less effective.
The style of 7500 is what gives it such a sharp edge. Right from the beginning, you feel as though you’re being exposed to a documentary of some sort that utilizes security closed-circuit camera footage to start painting it’s picture before we even board the plane. This technique is continuously used throughout the duration of the film, which is only about 90 minutes, by the way. This creates a sense of realism and increased anxiety because it’s difficult at times to get a clear picture of what’s transpiring before your eyes. Much like reading a novel, your imagination of what you mentally visualize will assist in painting the complete picture.
Combining these effective techniques along with a decent story and solid acting allowed me to find more things right with this feature rather than chalking it up as “just another hijacking movie.” The up close and personal interactions between Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Omid Memar gives 7500 a living, breathing soul of which viewers can attach themselves to and begin to feel what these characters are feeling. The fact that this feature is relatively short and to the point, along with being available immediately for viewing on Amazon Prime Video, makes for a favorable combination.
7500 is available to stream right now on Prime Video. Check it out and fasten your seatbelt as you will be heading for some turbulence during this flight.
