Title – 7500 (2019)

Director – Patrick Vollrath (feature debut)

Cast – Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Aylin Tezel, Carlo Kitzlinger

Plot – American co-pilot Tobias Ellis (Levitt) must deal with terrorists who are trying to take over his plane as part of a violent act or terrorism.

“You’re in control”

Review by Eddie on 06/07/2020

Last seen on the big screen in 2016’s so-so Oliver Stone picture Snowden, its been quite some time since we’ve last seen the ever likable Joseph Gordon-Levitt on screen.

One of the most consistent and relatable actors working today, Levitt is always a solid presence, whether his front and centre or part of an ensemble, so any chance we get to see the actor ply his trade in a leading role is a good occasion for cinema fans.

Returning to the film world after spending some time away with family, Levitt has given debut feature director Patrick Vollrath a solid foundation on which to build his airplane cockpit set thriller in, but this tension building exercise never gets off the runway as we instead rely solely on Levitt to help get us through.

Playing 30 year old co-pilot Tobias Ellis, Levitt is given little backstory or material to work with as Ellis finds himself battling a group of violent terrorists who have stormed his plane and thrown his seemingly care-free route into disarray as the terrorists try to fight their way into the planes control room and enact out their devious deeds.

A unique set-piece if not a unique set-up, 7500 fails to wrangle the tension or energetic direction needed to make such an isolated and confined story work as Ellis battles the various terrorists operating in his aircraft and try’s to defuse the situation whilst managing to still fly the plane.

Films such as Buried, The Guilty or Phone Booth, which all share similar DNA to Vollrath’s Amazon distributed thriller all manage to use their small-scale locales or situations to build white knuckle tension or deliver shocking twists and turns but 7500 never does that, it plays a relatively straight bat and never deviates from a fairly predictable course that it sets out upon from very early on.

It’s a shame, as Levitt’s solid work alongside a gripping script and unpredictable directing could’ve made 7500 a thrilling delight thousands of feet up in the air, but it remains grounded throughout, unable to take to the skies.

Final Say – 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt tries his hardest with the little he has to work with but 7500 is a mostly thrill-free affair that is about as exciting as an airplane dinner.

2 pieces of glass out of 5