This true story has a tight 90-minute runtime that forces you not to look away – even as the credits roll.
In a day and age where writers and directors think a great movie must be nearly three hours long, September 5 reminds us you can do a lot with a much shorter runtime. September 5 recounts a tragic day during the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany where an American broadcast team covers a live hostage situation live on ABC television. Many younger viewers might not even know this story, so it feels like an important one to tell. It’s a very stressful, tragic event that ends up cementing itself in broadcast television history…. for better or worse.
To add another dimension to this review, I actually work in broadcast television. I have sat in countless control rooms just like the one depicted in September 5. Broadcast television is stressful on its own, so it’s fascinating seeing how the crew handles this terrible situation as it unfolds in front of their eyes and the entire world. The movie does a great job recreating the event and demonstrating the roles of all the crew members as they attempt to cover the situation. Everyone has a part to play and you can tell how it weighs on them, mentally, as they type out a lower-third graphic of a hostage live on TV, not knowing if they would be executed for the world to see.
As I touched on in the title of my review, September 5 shines mostly because of the pacing. You are locked in the entire time. That combined with a stellar cast, including Oscar-worthy performances from Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro, make for one of the best movies of 2024 (a film that is finally playing in Nashville, TN this weekend). There is not one weak spot in the movie from an acting standpoint, and that is a testament to the directing from Tim Fehlbaum.
The biggest downside to September 5 is that it can only be so good. It’s interesting and fast-paced, but some people could accuse it of being boring or even safe at times. And that is true – to an extent. The pacing is great, but it does feel a little repetitive at times while we watch this entire situation play out. Luckily, by the time the ending comes around, it reels you back in. But overall, a movie like this has a ceiling on how good it can be, and that holds it back from being elite and settles at being a good, thrilling film.
If you are on the fence about seeing September 5, just give it a chance. Even if it isn’t your cup of tea, it’s an important story that a lot of people, especially younger generations, likely don’t even know about. The performances and story are good enough to deserve seeing this in theaters.