7500

7500 casts Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tobias Ellis, an American pilot flying from Berlin to Paris who is forced to make some very difficult decisions after his plane is commandeered by several armed hijackers. It’s a spare premise that’s employed to somewhat erratic yet consistently engaging effect by writer/director Patrick Vollrath, as the first-time filmmaker delivers a tense thriller that’s undoubtedly at its best within its often unbearably suspenseful opening half hour – with the gripping vibe heightened by Gordon-Levitt’s thoroughly captivating turn as the beleaguered central character. There’s little doubt, however, that 7500 eventually (and perhaps inevitably) progresses into a comparatively less-than-taut midsection that can’t help but feel a little padded out, as the inherent limitations of the scenario (and, of course, Vollrath’s ambitious decision to limit the action entirely to the plane’s cockpit) pave the way for a second act that unfortunately possesses its share of lulls – although, by that same token, Vollrath does an effective job of wringing every bit of anxiety out of the admittedly irresistible setup. The strong final stretch, which predominantly details the dynamic between Tobias and a young, jumpy terrorist (Omid Memar’s Vedat), ensures that 7500 ends on a compelling (and downright haunting) note, which ultimately does confirm the picture’s place as a thoroughly impressive debut and worthy addition to the canon of peril-aboard-an-airplane movies.

***1/2 out of ****