--- title: "September 5" year: 2024 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/september-5" fi1m_id: "september-5" imdb_id: "tt28082769" tmdb_id: 1211472 wikidata_id: "Q127688495" fi1m_score: 74 critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 17 published: "2026-09-30T22:24:18.701534+00:00" updated: "2026-09-30T22:24:31.646118+00:00" region: "DE" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # September 5 (2024) Directed by Tim Fehlbaum · 1h 34m · FSK 12 · Thriller, Drama, History ## Identity September 5 - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/september-5 - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** september-5 - **IMDb ID:** tt28082769 - **TMDB ID:** 1211472 - **Wikidata ID:** Q127688495 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28082769/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1211472, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127688495 **Fi1m score: 74** · Critics 71 from 17 reviews *In a sentence:* Ninety minutes of chain-smoking Americans fighting over a satellite while the worst day of the Games plays out on a monitor > Tim Fehlbaum locks us in the ABC Sports control room for the Munich hostage crisis and never lets us out. It is tense and well acted, and it asks whether any of this should be on television, then gets on with putting it there. ## Synopsis Munich, the early hours of 5 September 1972. The ABC Sports team is in its control room beside the Olympic Village, halfway through covering the Games, when shots are heard. Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro), the young producer in charge that morning, learns that Palestinian gunmen have taken Israeli athletes hostage in their quarters. His boss Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard) decides sport will keep the story rather than hand it to the news division in New York, while operations chief Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin) worries about what a live camera might show. With Marianne Gebhardt (Leonie Benesch), a German interpreter, translating the police radio, and reporter Peter Jennings (Benjamin Walker) phoning in from inside the village, Mason has to get a lens on the balcony of the besieged building and hold on to the satellite before the other networks take it. ## Review Tim Fehlbaum’s film is about the day the Munich Olympics stopped, and it tells it from one chair. For 94 minutes we stay in the ABC Sports control room with a crew whose job that morning was gymnastics and volleyball. The film never goes into the building. The hostage-takers are figures on a balcony seen through a long lens; the hostages are names on a sheet of paper. Fehlbaum and his co-writer Moritz Binder made that choice and keep to it, and it gives them a tight, fast thriller. It also leaves most of what mattered that day on the other side of the door. Julian Wagner’s control room is a low-ceilinged box of monitors, ashtrays, telephones and tape decks. Markus Förderer shoots it close, in warm, smoky light, faces lit by screens, and when the camera goes outside it stays with the crew’s own lenses, so we see only what they can see. Hansjörg Weißbrich cuts quickly between the desks and the monitor wall, and a good deal of the tension lives in the gap: someone says a thing, and we wait for the picture to confirm it. Lorenz Dangel’s score is mostly a low hum under the machinery and has the sense to stop when the archive plays. The archive is the real broadcast, with Jim McKay at the desk, and the film cuts to it as if it were being made in the next room, which in the story it is. John Magaro plays Geoffrey Mason as a young man handed the biggest chair in the building without time to be frightened of it. He is good at showing thought; his eyes go to the monitors before his mouth has decided anything. Peter Sarsgaard’s Roone Arledge is quieter and more dangerous, a boss who knows this is the story of his career and would prefer not to say so. Ben Chaplin’s Marvin Bader is the one who keeps asking whether they should, and Chaplin plays him as a tired man who knows the answer will be yes. Leonie Benesch, as the interpreter Marianne Gebhardt, is the only German on the crew and the only person who seems to feel what the day means for the country outside, and she does a great deal with a headset and a notepad. Benjamin Walker’s Peter Jennings is mostly a calm voice down a phone line. Early on, a long lens finds the balcony and a man in a balaclava steps into the frame. Everyone stops talking, and so did we. We have known that image for fifty years and it still went through us, and part of what went through us was wanting: we wanted them to hold the shot. A minute later we felt slightly ashamed of that, and the film had arranged it. It is the best thing in the picture. The trouble is what the film does next. Bader’s question, whether they can broadcast a hostage situation and what happens if a man is shot on air, is asked plainly, argued for a scene, and then the story moves on, because the film is built to follow it. The politics of the day, Palestinians and Israelis and a Germany hosting the Games 27 years after the war, come in through Marianne and are otherwise left alone. Several critics have called this a dodge. We think it is a limit the film set for itself and then bumped into: a film about people deciding what to show cannot avoid the question of what it has chosen to show, and this one mostly does. It also ends when the broadcast ends, and it ends fast. We would have taken another ten minutes. Newsroom films usually finish either proud of journalists or disgusted with them. This one is neither, and that takes some nerve. See it in a cinema if you can, where the monitors are the only light and the telephones sound like alarms. It runs 94 minutes and carries a 15. It will not tell you what the day meant; it tells you what the day was like from one chair, and that turns out to be a good deal. *Fi1m score 74, published 30 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics like it, and they like it for the same reasons. The reviews call it tense and tightly built, a single-room thriller that keeps the outcome feeling uncertain even for those who know it. Praise clusters on the recreation of the ABC studio, the way archival broadcast footage is cut in with the staged action, and the performances, with John Magaro named most often and Peter Sarsgaard close behind. The reservation is nearly as widely shared: the film keeps politics and history outside the frame, and critics disagree about whether that is discipline or evasion. The friendlier reviews treat it as a limitation; The New Yorker finds the result narrow, and Slant Magazine, the one outright dissent, calls the film politically unserious. A few also say the pace flags once events slow, and Collider objects to the abrupt ending. Otherwise the spread is fairly narrow, running from warm to guarded. ## Straight answers **How long is September 5, and what is it rated?** *September 5* runs 1h 34m and is rated 12 by the FSK in Germany. It is a thriller and drama film. **Where can I watch September 5 in Germany?** *September 5* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from €3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **What should I watch after September 5?** After *September 5*, try [*Ace in the Hole*](https://film.one/film/ace-in-the-hole) (1951, Fi1m 87): Billy Wilder on a reporter who keeps a man trapped because the story is good. Then [*Broadcast News*](https://film.one/film/broadcast-news) (1987, Fi1m 84): The control room as comedy, with the same argument about faking it running underneath; and [*Munich*](https://film.one/film/munich) (2005, Fi1m 80): Spielberg follows the aftermath into the years this film never reaches. ### Reviews we read (17) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Jordan Mintzer (85/100, inferred): Mintzer finds the film riveting and relevant, praising its suspenseful account of the newsroom’s response to the Munich attacks. He singles out the performances and the film’s skillful integration of archival footage with intimate recreations. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/september-5-review-peter-sarsgaard-munich-olympics-terror-1235986809/) - **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (85/100, inferred): Ebiri finds the film tightly constructed and intensely suspenseful, making a familiar historical outcome feel uncertain. He especially praises the meticulous recreation of ABC’s studio and the use of real archival footage. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-september-5-is-almost-nauseatingly-suspenseful.html) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (4/5): Bradshaw finds the film smart, involving and muscularly made, though its deliberate avoidance of historical and political implications may seem naive or obtuse. He praises its tense, claustrophobic depiction of live television journalism under pressure. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/dec/13/september-5-movie-review) - **Time Out**, Elizabeth Weitzman (4/5): Weitzman presents it as a gripping newsroom drama. The review singles out its account of one world-altering day in Munich. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/september-5-review-2024) - **IndieWire**, Ryan Lattanzio (B): The critic finds the film a gripping, distinctive single-room thriller, though its exploration of media ethics is less penetrating than it might be. They praise the archival news footage and John Magaro’s compelling performance. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/september-5-review-1235041805/) - **Empire**, Beth Webb (75/100, inferred): Webb finds the film compelling and well performed, praising its tense, immersive depiction of the broadcast team at work. She says its focus on newsroom operations leaves some of the event’s larger political questions underexplored. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/september-5/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Amy Nicholson (65/100, inferred): Nicholson finds the film a brisk, tense account of the ethical strain of live crisis reporting, though its contained approach can grow less compelling as events slow. She praises its tactile period details and the way it shows how television images shape a story. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-12-12/review-september-5-john-magaro-peter-sarsgaard-ben-chaplin) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (65/100, inferred): Debruge finds the newsroom drama relevant and taut, though its focus leaves important aspects of the hostage crisis outside the frame. He praises its documentary-like style and the tense, careful performances of Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro. [Read](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/september-5-review-1236123360/) - **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson, Senior US critic (64/100, inferred): The accessible page identifies this as a Venice review, but the review text is behind a paywall. The standfirst describes a tense newsroom drama, but the critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint are unavailable. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/september-5-venice-review/5196596.article) - **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be read, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the provided content. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/movies/september-5-review.html) - **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (50/100, inferred): Brody finds the film vigorous but narrow, praising the cast’s energetic portrayal of the journalists’ pursuit of scoops and facts. He faults the script for detaching its characters from history and politics, and suggests the film only hints at a more compelling treatment of those issues. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/goings-on/the-vibrant-abandon-of-barbara-hannigan) - **Slant Magazine**, Gregory Nussen (1.5/4): The critic finds the film taut but politically unserious and too eager to avoid the crisis’s geopolitical significance. They single out its docu-realistic depiction of the ABC crew’s 17-hour ordeal as effective. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/september-5-review-peter-sarsgaard-tim-fehlbaum/) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): Hammond finds the docudrama riveting and says it succeeds on every level. He especially praises John Magaro’s performance and the film’s skillful blend of archival broadcast footage with recreated action. [Read](https://deadline.com/2024/08/september-5-review-munich-olympics-hostage-crisis-1236060638/) - **NME** (90/100, inferred): The review calls the film a compelling, fiercely relevant thriller. It praises the ensemble cast and the seamless integration of real footage. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/september-5-review-john-magaro-tim-fehlbaum-3835664) - **Eye for Film**, Marko Stojiljkovic (75/100, inferred): The critic finds it a tense, nail-biting thriller despite its shortcomings. The live-reporting perspective and stylistic choices work well, while the film’s socially charged angle remains underdeveloped. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/september-5-2024-film-review-by-marko-stojiljkovic) - **Collider**, Nate Richard (7/10): The review finds the newsroom thriller riveting but ultimately less impactful because of its apolitical stance and abrupt ending. It praises the tense atmosphere and the standout performances by Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro. [Read](https://collider.com/september-5-review/) - **The Wrap** (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an effective and valuable addition to journalism and terrorism dramas, while acknowledging its serious moral ambivalence. They praise its confined perspective for bringing the story’s ethical dilemmas into focus. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/september-5-review-tim-fehlbaum-munich-olympics/) ## Details - **Director:** Tim Fehlbaum - **Director:** Tim Fehlbaum - **Writer:** Tim Fehlbaum, Moritz Binder - **Cinematography:** Markus Förderer - **Editor:** Hansjörg Weißbrich - **Music:** Lorenz Dangel - **Production design:** Julian Wagner - **Costume design:** Leonie Zykan - **Producer:** John Wildermuth, Thomas Wöbke, Philipp Trauer - **Cast:** Peter Sarsgaard as Roone Arledge; John Magaro as Geoffrey Mason; Ben Chaplin as Marvin Bader; Leonie Benesch as Marianne Gebhardt; Zinedine Soualem as Jacques Lesgards; Georgina Rich as Gladys Deist; Corey Johnson as Hank Hanson; Marcus Rutherford as Carter Jeffrey - **Runtime:** 1h 34m - **Certificate (FSK):** 12 - **Release (Germany):** 9 January 2025 - **Genres:** Thriller, Drama, History - **Also in:** [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 2024) - **Box office:** $852,000 - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azud40CQ3IE ## Where to watch in Germany - Amazon Prime Video: rent €3.99, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy €8.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-30.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *One Day in September* (1999): The documentary of the same day, told from every room this film leaves shut. - *Ace in the Hole* (1951), Fi1m 87: Billy Wilder on a reporter who keeps a man trapped because the story is good. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ace-in-the-hole.md) - *Broadcast News* (1987), Fi1m 84: The control room as comedy, with the same argument about faking it running underneath. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/broadcast-news.md) - *Munich* (2005), Fi1m 80: Spielberg follows the aftermath into the years this film never reaches. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/munich.md) - *Nightcrawler* (2014), Fi1m 85: What happens when the man holding the camera has stopped asking whether he should. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/nightcrawler.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/september-5