5) A Hijacking
Every once in a while, a movie comes along that proves innovation is still alive and well in filmmaking. A Hijacking, an extraordinary Danish film written and directed by Tobias Lindholm, is one of those movies. A thriller that at every turn defies the conventions of its genre, A Hijacking is a truly stunning achievement.
Focusing on the hijacking of a Danish cargo ship by Somali pirates, and the ensuing negotiations ostensibly intended to rescue the ship’s crew, Lindholm’s film thrives on searing silences and tense conversations. He opts never to show the hijacking at all, immediately jumping from before the appearance of the pirates’ motorboats to after their successful takeover. The focus here is clearly on complex human interaction over high-budget action, but the film is all the more explosive for that unique perspective.
Two electric performances succeed in making the film’s quietest moments its most heart-pounding. Pilou Asbæk, playing the terrified cook on board the hijacked ship, captures the complex emotional journey of a man held at gunpoint for weeks on end, exhibiting terror, anger and, finally, disturbing detachment. Søren Malling is equally good as the CEO of the ship’s company, who feels the overwhelming weight of his men’s lives and is slowly crushed by the pressure of heading up negotiations.
An unequivocally tense and terrific thriller, A Hijacking captivates with innovative direction, stunning performances and a grittily realistic, utterly engrossing atmosphere.
