Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
    Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 But Why Tho 10

    Spider-Man Is Coming To Magic And It’s Just Like The Comics

    08/29/2025
    Star Wars Visions Volume 3 Black

    ‘Black’ Sets The Tone For A Bold New Mixtape In ‘Star Wars Visions: Volume 3’

    08/28/2025
    Olivia Colman in The Roses

    ‘The Roses’ Is A Reimagining, Not A Remake, And That’s Why It Works So Well

    08/27/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘7500’ is a Tense, Suspenseful Distraction

REVIEW: ‘7500’ is a Tense, Suspenseful Distraction

Cait KennedyBy Cait Kennedy06/15/20204 Mins ReadUpdated:12/19/2024
7500
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

7500 stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and is written and directed by Patrick Vollrath (Everything Will Be Okay). In 7500, what begins as a routine day in the life of Tobias, a soft-spoken young pilot, becomes a living hell as terrorists attack his plane. When his captain is killed Tobias must suddenly become responsible for every life on board, making impossible decisions and having to deliver his passengers and crew to safety single-handedly.

The basic story of 7500 is an expected foundation for an action film. It’s a premise we’ve seen many times before, with minor details tweaked. What sets 7500 apart is its ability to create incredible tension and bring a grounded quality to the film that makes it exemplary. The film works within a realm that is exciting while being incredibly believable and almost uses the audience’s familiarity with this sort of film as a means of toying with expectations.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

7500 has a disarming intro that is brilliant in its simplicity. The film begins on typical shots of an airport security camera. We see the crowds of people moving through security and shots of waiting passengers. Scattered among these shots are obvious reveals of the terrorist plot that will later unfold. The beginning of the film is almost excruciatingly mundane as it goes through the motions of a normal day. We all know that something big is about to go down and, like the unwitting characters, simply have to wait for the action to start.

When shit hits the fan in 7500 it hits hard. The attack on the plane comes out of nowhere and, as a viewer, you are completely caught up in the surprise and terror of the moment. Another testament to that grounded and real feeling that is being created. Initially, in my screening of the film, when the attack happened so early I worried about whether or not the story had any room to grow. Oddly enough, that concern would end up being the film’s greatest strength.

7500 masterfully understands how to slowly up the stakes.

7500

7500 masterfully understands how to slowly up the stakes. The pressure and anxieties that Tobias is under are measured and impactful. The way the film unfolds shows the fatigue and desperation of our hero, more than anything else. Under these insane circumstances, and with greater risk advancing on him, every decision the character makes is even more important. The agony of watching this character wrestle with the responsibility while making these decisions mixes perfectly with the steady rise of the stakes. It’s a fantastic storytelling quality that is lost in most action films. Really well done.

Of course, the entire film absolutely hinges on Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s great performance as Tobias. For much of the film, the focus is entirely on this young pilot’s split-second decisions and personal struggle. As an “action hero,” Tobias is incredibly refreshing. He’s a departure from the Liam Neeson counterpart that we’re more familiar with. The character of Tobias is soft-spoken, kind, and a devoted father. Through much of the film, we see him in a position of being able to talk things out.

Scenes of him being violent or fighting are incredibly rare, though he does defend himself and the plane he’s been charged with. This feels much more realistic and it makes the film all the more compelling. You feel for this kind person, who is now faced with the impossible. An incredibly human performance that absolutely makes the film.

A downside to the realism of 7500 is that things tend to drag. The film has a lot of quiet moments that feel procedural. The action takes a while to get going and the viewer finds themselves stuck in various chapters of the action for what feels like a long time. Personally, this critic doesn’t view that as a negative. It’s another layer of the film’s world. The minutes drag on and it builds tension. It also shows that these sorts of conflicts take place over a series of events, versus the more cinematic formula of building up to the big final showdown.

In a tense time, 7500 is a wonderful distraction. It’s an exciting escape and Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s performance alone is worth a viewing. While it’s unclear whether or not the film will make much of a splash, it is a refreshing departure from the expected. It would be a victory to see more action heroes written like this.

7500 is available to stream on Prime Video.

7500
  • 7/10
    Rating - 7/10
7/10

TL;DR

In a tense time, 7500 is a wonderful distraction. It’s an exciting escape and Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s performance alone is worth a viewing. While it’s unclear whether or not the film will make much of a splash, it is a refreshing departure from the expected. It would be a victory to see more action heroes written like this.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire,’ Episode 6
Next Article REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia: Vigilantes,’ Volume 7
Cait Kennedy
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)

Caitlin is a sweater enthusiast, film critic, and lean, mean writing machine based in Austin, TX. Her love of film began with being shown Rosemary’s Baby at a particularly impressionable age and she’s been hooked ever since. She loves a good bourbon and hates people who talk in movies. Caitlin has been writing since 2014 and you can find her work on Film Inquiry, The Financial Diet, Nightmarish Conjurings, and many others. Follow her on Twitter at @CaitDoes.

Related Posts

Choi Gyu-ri, Shin Eun-Soo in Love Untangled
7.5

REVIEW: ‘Love Untangled’ Is Just Adorable

08/31/2025
Austin Butler in Caught Stealing
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Caught Stealing’ Marks An Exciting Pivot for Darren Aronofsky

08/27/2025
Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O' Donahue in the film Honey Don't
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Honey Don’t!’ Is A Genius Work Of Subversion And Fantasy Fulfillment

08/25/2025
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Roses But Why Tho
5.0

 REVIEW: ‘The Roses’ Lacks A Thorny Edge

08/25/2025
Mert Ramazan Demir in Abandoned Man
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Abandoned Man’ Lacks Depth In Its Take On Betrayal

08/22/2025
Ne Zha 2 promotional still from a24
10.0

REVIEW: ‘Ne Zha 2’ Is One Of The Most Epic Feats Of Animation

08/21/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Cosmic Spider-Man card details Features

[EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

By Kate Sánchez09/02/2025Updated:09/02/2025

An exclusive look at a new 5-Color Spider entering Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man set, and Cosmic Spider-Man is going to be a tough one to take on.

Hololive EN at Radio City Music Hall Events

Hololive EN At Radio City Music Hall Was A Pure Expression Of Fandom

By Adrian Ruiz08/31/2025Updated:09/03/2025

Hololive EN turned Radio City in New York City into the pure expression of fandom: chants, penlights, and community in perfect sync.

Karl Anthony Towns in NBA 2k26 But Why Tho
8.5
PS5

REVIEW: ‘NBA 2K26’ Brings Basketball To Life

By Kyle Foley09/03/2025

NBA 2K26 combines improved visuals with some important tweaks to keep the series feeling fresh in the latest yearly release.

Cronos: The New Dawn Nest
8.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’ Does Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Horror Right

By Mick Abrahamson09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

While not particularly sacry, Cronos: The New Dawn is a lot of fun as a survival horror that puts you in the futuristic armor of the Traveler.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here