Film Review: ‘September 5’ is a Thrilling Depiction of Making Sure You Report the Real News

We live in a time where it feels like telling the news fast can often supersede telling it accurately. This goes beyond even the plague that is fake news, too. So, something like September 5, which is a tribute to reporting the correct story, especially when the stakes are high, comes off like a welcome tonic. The fact that the film does it in a thrilling manner as well, within a constricted time period, only makes the accomplishment more noteworthy. Tis one of the best movies of the year, bar none.

September 5 is as intense a film as there is in 2024. That achievement really stands out when you consider that this is a depiction of history in action, with the end result preordained and well known already. The flick efficiently sets up the story, then is almost unrelenting in making it a white-knuckle thrill ride, all while what we’re watching are newspeople in action, watching history unfold before their eyes.

Set during the 1972 Munich Olympic hostage crisis, the story is told from the perspective of the ABC Sports crew. Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard) is running the show for ABC Sports but has initially taken the day off, leaving Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro) in charge once their colleague Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin) vouches for him. When some German transmissions come over the wire about a potential hostage crisis, Marianne Gebhardt (Leonie Benesch) is needed to translate. Soon, the four will be working together to try and let the world know exactly what is happening, all while having to fight the notion that they’re just sports people and should back off.

As the hostage situation becomes known to the team, as well as the world at large, they transition from covering the Olympics to reporting on the history unfolding before their eyes. Whether it’s accounting for the Israeli athletes/hostages, trying to figure out who is behind the operation, and what the end game is, they’re almost always evolving live broadcasting of the news. That it ultimately becomes a global tragedy that they’re broadcasting live only highlights more clearly the emotional experience of it all.

The performances across the board are strong, with our four central characters really shining. John Magaro is ostensibly our lead, which is a plus since this is his best turn to date. Watching him become a more and more confident producer is captivating. Magaro’s everyman quality makes it easy to root for him. Peter Sarsgaard’s ABC executive exudes confidence, even when he’s in just as over his head as everyone else. Leonie Benesch’s local translator is the heart and soul of the film in many ways. Her character is the closest to an outsider, so she becomes the audience surrogate. Benesch is able to elevate the movie by expansing its focus. Ben Chaplin is rock solid as the no-nonsense head of operations, making a character more memorable than he otherwise might have been. Supporting performances include Daniel Adeosun, Rony Herman, Zinedine Soualem, Benjamin Walker, and more, though the main quartet are the highlights.

Filmmaker Tim Fehlbaum directs while co-writing with Moritz Binder and Alex David, doing a hell of a job on both accounts. The score by Lorenz Dangel and the cinematography by Markus Förderer, not to mention the editing by Hansjörg Weißbrich, meshes wonderfully to create a visceral experience. Fehlbaum never makes it too intense, pacing things perfectly, but September 5 leaves your heart pounding on more than one occasion. It’s quite an accomplishment.

September 5 is among the very best titles to come out this year. In some ways, it has to be seen in order to be believed. It’s so intense and so well made, staying with you long after the credits roll. I love the film and can’t imagine it not gaining fans steadily throughout the rest of 2024. The movie has got the goods, plain and simple.

SCORE: ★★★1/2