A Hijacking (2013)
87%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: 19 wins & 26 nominations
A tense, gripping thriller, A Hijacking avoids action movie cliches and instead creates a palpable sense of dread by mixing gritty realism with atmospheric beauty
A Hijacking” is a movie that will have you on the edge of your seat, biting your nails down to the quick. It’s a nail-biting, intense drama that will leave you feeling like you’ve just been through a real-life hostage situation. The characters are believable, the storyline is gripping, and the settings are so realistic that you’ll feel like you’re right there on the ship with them. It’s not a fun movie, but it’s definitely one that you won’t forget anytime soon. So, grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready for a wild ride.
Production Company(ies)
Korea Pictures, L J Film Pandora Filmproduktion,
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language
Year of Release
2012
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 39m
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Language(s):Danish, English, Somali
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Country of origin:Denmark
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 14, 2013 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 15, 2013
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Søren Malling, Dar Salim, Gary Skjoldmose Porter, Abdihakin Asgar, Amalie Alstrup, Amalie Vulff Andersen, directed by Tobias Lindholm, written by Tobias Lindholm, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Paul Byrnes, David Edelstein, Olivia Collette, Neil Young, Jonathan Robbins, R-rated, produced by Rene Ezra, Tomas Radoor, Danish, Somali pirates, cargo ship, crew hostage, negotiations, Copenhagen, gritty realism, atmospheric beauty, tension, thriller, hostage-taking, power politics, masculine melodrama, plot twists, psychological toll, desperation, safe release, shrewd businessman, quiet intensity, realistic performances, demanding, emotional exhaustion, heartbreaking, unpredictable, depressing
Worldwide gross: $2,688,444
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,466,008
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,279
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 377,972
US/Canada gross: $414,437
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $534,302
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,309
US/Canada opening weekend: $39,392
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $50,785
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,204
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): DKK 15,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Dar Salim – Lars Vestergaard
Gary Skjoldmose Porter – Connor Julian
Abdihakin Asgar – Omar
Amalie Alstrup – Maria Hartmann
Amalie Vulff Andersen – Kamilla Hartmann
Director(s)
Tobias Lindholm
Writer(s)
Tobias Lindholm
Producer(s)
Rene Ezra, Tomas Radoor
Film Festivals
Venice
Awards & Nominations
19 wins & 26 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (112) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (107) | Rotten (5)
This is authentic, nail-digging life and death drama that, like Borgen, is all about maturing character development and power politics.
September 5, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
metro.co.uk
TOP CRITIC
A Hijacking achieves considerable power by avoiding the obvious, and staying close to its characters.
December 16, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
It’s an unshowy, quietly intense drama with grace notes in every scene — and a hellish punch.
December 16, 2013
David Edelstein
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
The film exposes the deep moral callousness of those doing the dealing, and the desperation of the people they break.
December 16, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/5
Olivia Collette
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
A high-seas hostage-taking and resulting negotiations are absorbingly dramatized in this low-key Venice standout from Denmark’s hottest new writer-director.
December 16, 2013
Neil Young
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
In his screenwriting, Tobias Lindholm has shown strong instincts for masculine melodrama and a knack for plot twists. As a director, though, he may still be getting his sea legs.
November 4, 2013
Jonathan Robbins
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
A Hijacking is one of those movies that must be recommended even if it’s in a way that doesn’t suggest that watching it will be much fun at all.
August 27, 2019 | Rating: A-
Ryan Syrek
The Reader (Omaha, NE)
holds your attention like a loaded gun to the forehead.
July 22, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Chris Hunneysett
The Sunday People
The characters, settings and storyline are always immensely believable, providing a fascinating glimpse into the terrifying world of modern day piracy.
February 2, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Jo-Anne Titmarsh
CineVue
“A Hijacking” may be a relatively low-key film, but it slowly overwhelms you.
February 21, 2018
Steve Erickson
Gay City News
The atmospheres of both boardroom and ship are superbly captured. In that thrilling Nordic style, everything feels chillingly real and grips you like ice.
October 31, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
Jason Solomons
The Mail on Sunday (UK)
It aims to not allow you to leave the theater without empathizing with victims of such real-life violence. And that’s what makes the film so memorable – and haunting.
April 8, 2014 | Rating: A
Dan Schindel
Movie Mezzanine…
Plot
After Somali pirates hijack a Danish cargo ship and take the crew hostage, authorities in Copenhagen begin negotiations with the pirates to free the crew in the tense and gripping thriller, A Hijacking.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Søren Malling and Dar Salim in lead roles.
Tobias-Lindholm.jpg
