--- title: "September 5: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/september-5/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/september-5" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 17 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): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 17 reviews: 11 positive, 5 mixed, 1 negative. 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. ## The Hollywood Reporter — Jordan Mintzer Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2024. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/september-5-review-peter-sarsgaard-munich-olympics-terror-1235986809/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2024. 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 the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-september-5-is-almost-nauseatingly-suspenseful.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Rating 4/5. 13 December 2024. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/dec/13/september-5-movie-review) ## Time Out — Elizabeth Weitzman Rating 4/5. 27 November 2024. Weitzman presents it as a gripping newsroom drama. The review singles out its account of one world-altering day in Munich. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/september-5-review-2024) ## IndieWire — Ryan Lattanzio Rating B. 29 August 2024. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/september-5-review-1235041805/) ## Empire — Beth Webb Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 4 February 2025. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/september-5/) ## Los Angeles Times — Amy Nicholson Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 2024. 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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-12-12/review-september-5-john-magaro-peter-sarsgaard-ben-chaplin) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2024. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/september-5-review-1236123360/) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson, Senior US critic Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2024. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/september-5-venice-review/5196596.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 2024. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/movies/september-5-review.html) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2024. 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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/goings-on/the-vibrant-abandon-of-barbara-hannigan) ## Slant Magazine — Gregory Nussen Rating 1.5/4. 29 October 2024. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/september-5-review-peter-sarsgaard-tim-fehlbaum/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2024. Festival review. 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 the review](https://deadline.com/2024/08/september-5-review-munich-olympics-hostage-crisis-1236060638/) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). The review calls the film a compelling, fiercely relevant thriller. It praises the ensemble cast and the seamless integration of real footage. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/september-5-review-john-magaro-tim-fehlbaum-3835664) ## Eye for Film — Marko Stojiljkovic Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2024. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/september-5-2024-film-review-by-marko-stojiljkovic) ## Collider — Nate Richard Rating 7/10. 10 December 2024. 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 the review](https://collider.com/september-5-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2024. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.thewrap.com/september-5-review-tim-fehlbaum-munich-olympics/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/september-5.md