September 5 (3 1/2 stars out of 4)
Earlier this year, “Civil War” used a group of photojournalists to explore a nightmare future where ideological tensions boiled over into organized warfare on a national scale. In “September 5,” director Tim Fehlbaum uses a group of television broadcasters to explore the true story of a terrorist attack during the 1972 Olympics.
Many will be familiar with the tragic story of the attack on the Israeli Olympic team by a terrorist group called Black September. But even if you know the story, “September 5” is a fascinating POV-based retelling that gives you a sense of how it unfolded in real time.
The entire film takes place in or around the ABC broadcast headquarters during the 1972 Munich games. When a few scattered employees hear what sound like gunshots in the early morning, a group of people trained to cover sports are thrust into the middle of an international crisis.
“September 5” follows a lot of characters and a lot of moving parts, but mostly it centers on Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro), who is responsible with coordinating the efforts of everyone from celebrated anchor Jim McKay to a crew member (Daniel Adeosun) who is able to sneak past police barriers by posing as an Olympic athlete.
Rather than spend time with the terrorists or the hostages in the Olympic Village, we stay with Mason and his team as they try to find ways to cover the unfolding event, and try to make critical decisions about what they should and should not broadcast to a live audience at home.
Fehlbaum does an excellent job of balancing the tension of the situation against the behind-the-scenes battles taking place between networks, employees, and people trying to make sense of the decade’s limited technologies. In one memorable exchange, the team has to debate what to call the attackers on-air, since “terrorist” is still a comparatively new term.
Through a combination of skillful directing and pacing, boosted by some strong performances from Magaro and fellow actors Peter Sarsgaard and Leonie Benesch, “September 5” keeps the audience rooted in its story, and like the best films, the most meaningful content comes at the end of the ordeal.
It’s no surprise that thanks to events like the October 7th terrorist attack last year, and the general reckoning of the 24/7 media cycle that has been going on for years now, “September 5” feels like it’s commenting on 2024 as much as it’s telling a story from over 50 years ago. The film’s closing moments drive home some searching questions that aren’t easy to answer.
It’s definitely not the happiest movie you can see this Christmas season, but it may be one of the most poignant.
“September 5” is rated R for some scattered profanity and disturbing images.