Movie Review: September 5

The new thriller September 5 recounts the taking of hostages during the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. It does so with such finesse and skill that it often feels more like a documentary of the event than a dramatic retelling, which is to say that the film proves to be very powerful indeed.

The film begins as an American sports broadcasting crew is closing out their day of coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympics when they suddenly find themselves in the unique position to cover the taking of Israeli athletes as hostages by Palestinian soldiers. What follows is a thrilling tale of the crew attempting to cover the story without jeopardizing the hostages safety, or placing themselves in harm’s way as well.

Director Tim Fehlbaum’s previous features – 2021’s The Colony and 2011’s Hell – only hinted at the dramatic weight the filmmaker was to throw down in September 5. Those were more stylistic, genre-driven films while his latest shows a maturing of sorts and a deft hand when it comes to utilizing an ensemble cast as talented as this one. Couple that with the economic and surprisingly tense script that Fehlbaum co-wrote with Moritz Binder, and the result is an engaging historical thriller that keeps the viewer on the edge, despite possibly already knowing the outcome of the story.

As Roone Arledge, Peter Sarsgaard plays the architect of the entire broadcast and positions his team for success with every decision he make, which includes giving the reigns to Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), who ultimately rises to the occasion to deliver the event as a landmark moment in television history. John Magaro’s portrayal of Geoffrey Mason makes him somewhat skeptical of the possibility of their coverage being successfully pulled off but this is done out of concern for the safety of all involved and not the raw instincts of simply getting the story no matter the cost.

Zinedine Soualem, John Magaro, Leonie Benesch, and Marcus Rutherford in “September 5.”

Markus Förderer’s cinematography displays the film almost exactly as one would envision a newsroom looking in the conditions the team is forced to operate in and Julian R. Wagner’s production design allows that portrayal to succeed without question. This authentic look when aided by the editing work of Hansjörg Weißbrich gives the film a kinetic feel that remains solid from beginning to end.

While the prospect of watching a team of reporters attempt to cobble together a news report from a plethora of sources may sound like a dry, emotionless undertaking, by adding the element of life or death drama to a cadre of excellent performances, September 5 transforms into an uncannily engrossing and thrilling tale of world events and history.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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