A gripping newsroom thriller that keeps the tension high and the cameras rolling.
SPOILERS
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Certification: 15
Genres: Docudrama, History
Director Tim Fehlbaum crafts a taut and immersive thriller in September 5, a film that unfolds almost entirely within a broadcasting control room. The movie drops viewers into the middle of an unfolding crisis — the Israeli Olympic team has been held hostage in the Olympic Village. Fehlbaum lets the tension build through sharp dialogue, tight cinematography, and an unrelenting pace. Personally, I didn’t have prior knowledge of the event being depicted, so the experience became more like real-time discovery, like the plot itself.
Fehlbaum’s direction is precise, using the confined setting to heighten both the urgency and the sense of helplessness. The screenplay is snappy and economical. It throws the audience straight into the controlled chaos of a newsroom grappling with an escalating situation. The performances are uniformly strong, with the cast delivering naturalistic reactions that make the tension feel immediate and lived-in. John Magaro is a stand out. He balances sharpness with a palpable sense of panic, layered also with the internal moral struggle. You find yourself rooting for his success, while also acknowledging the complex ethical dilemma he faces. Conversations overlap, commands are barked, and decisions are made on the fly, all contributing to the film’s authentic, almost documentary-like feel.
One thing that stood out to me was September 5’s apolitical stance. Given the current geopolitical climate—particularly with the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict — the film’s refusal to explore the deeper historical or ideological motivations behind its events feels deliberate. There are references to Nazi Germany, the Cold War, and a vague mention of “A-rabs,” but they remain just that — references. It may be that Fehlbaum wanted to focus on the crisis management and the broadcasting opportunity, and given the fast pace of the movie, I can’t exactly see where that history could have been better explored. Perhaps all it required was the broadcast of an interview which could have shoehorned in that background.
Despite this lack of historical depth, September 5 remains gripping throughout. Fehlbaum’s use of tight framing and minimalistic camerawork amplifies the claustrophobia of the setting, making the control room feel like a pressure cooker ready to explode. History often unfolds in fragments, and September 5 does well to capture that disorienting, immediate sensation of watching history happen in front of you (and having a hand in it).
Rushes. 
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