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Season 1 – Hijack

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2:05

Season 1 – Hijack

Jun 2023

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

69 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Sam Nelson (Idris Elba), a master negotiator, faces a series of life-or-death situations where his skills of persuasion are his only means of survival.

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Critics Consensus

Largely devoid of storytelling turbulence and benefitting greatly from its real-time pacing, Hijack is a glossy but effective thriller that achieves genuine liftoff.

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Amy Amatangelo

Tellyvisions

Jul 25, 2025

HIjack excels at getting viewers invested in characters you’ve just met. Sure, it’s a little emotionally manipulative, but it also makes the show such a fun ride.

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Richard Ferguson

The Australian

Aug 15, 2023

The magic at the centre of Hijack is certainly Elba. He’s effortlessly cool and mysterious and suave.

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Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

Aug 13, 2023

The series is patently ridiculous, and features just a little too much time following characters on the ground (including Archie Panjabi’s anti-terrorism agent) instead of those in the sky, but Elba can sell the silliest of premises with ease.

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Samantha Schuster

Cinéfilo Serial

Jul 25, 2025

4/5

It's an intense and entertaining thriller that manages to maintain its tension based on good narrative twists, an ensemble story that involves several settings, and a cast that remains credible. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Paul Klein

FILMHOUNDS Magazine

Jul 5, 2024

4/5

The claustrophobia of the situation is much more interesting than the larger implications of insider trading and money people, and the series is also less interested in that

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Robert W. Butler

Butler's Cinema Scene

Aug 31, 2023

With its real-time delivery Hijack is the perfect one-day binge.

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G P

@gabip443 6 days ago

Worst thing I've watched in 2026. Almost every single thing that happens is ridiculous and completely devoid of logic, like, outlandishly so, to the point of absolute frustration. One example, a mother thinks something bad happened to her neighbour's family...so she sends her 5 year old child to see...etc etc, every event even if the small ones would never ever happen. Avoid. I literally only created an account here for this

Fung L

@RT61346160 Aug 27, 2026

stupidest terrorists ever, poor arrangements and executions.

Dave Y

@daveyoung222 Aug 7, 2026

Fun concept of a show. Elba does a great job leading the series. Some moments are a bit silly and unrealistic, but entertaining in the end.

Jonathan S

@RT85561000 Jul 18, 2026

The scene where they briefly lose sight of the vehicle but continue as if that is not suspicious is just ridiculous.

Dinu R.

@radman1953 Jun 6, 2026

The plot makes very little sense, and often times goes against common sense and average wisdom. It may be a good plot for idiots! Why would the pilot of an airplane compromise the life of his passengers and his own for a relationship with a member of the flight crew? Why would a trained flight assistant kill the pilot to comply with the threats of terrorists against her daughter? Why is the main character the one to help land the plane when the original co-pilot was alive onboard??? Making ZERO sense. Acting was good but the plot sucks!

Ryan P

@RT47390422 Apr 20, 2026

I found the protagonist to be completely unlikable. Self-righteous with a huge ego, he believes that he is the savior and only his ideas matter or can be correct. Completely infuriating. He makes me long for the days of Jack Bauer’s take no prisoners attitude. While I like Elba as an actor, I utterly loathe Sam Nelson and will not be watching season 2.

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Idris Elba

Sam Nelson

Neil Maskell

Stuart Atterton

Eve Myles

Alice Sinclair

Christine Adams

Marsha Smith-Nelson

Maxton Beesley

Daniel O'Farrell

Archie Panjabi

Zahar Gahfoor

Episode 1

Aired Jun 28, 2023

Final Call

Sam Nelson gets on a flight to London hoping to win back his ex-wife, but something on board feels wrong and his suspicions are confirmed.

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Episode 2

Aired Jun 28, 2023

3 Degrees

Spotting an opportunity, Sam executes a plan to get a covert message to authorities on the ground.

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Episode 3

Aired Jul 5, 2023

Draw a Blank

As the UK's counterterrorism unit learns of Flight KA29, Sam gets involved in a risky plan to take on the hijackers.

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Episode 4

Aired Jul 12, 2023

Not Responding

An incident team in Westminster scrambles to intercept fighter jets; Sam tries contacting the ground once more when a hijacker is injured.

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Episode 5

Aired Jul 19, 2023

Less Than an Hour

Sam attempts to convince the hijackers to land the plane; a list of demands reveals who is behind the hijacking.

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Episode 6

Aired Jul 26, 2023

Comply Slowly

Faced with an impossible decision, the passengers ready themselves for a fight.

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Episode 7

Aired Aug 2, 2023

Brace Brace Brace

A new threat emerges on board as Sam struggles to control the chaos unfolding around him.

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Hijack: Season 1 Featurette - Inside Look