A Hijacking

We mostly hear about Somali pirates on the news. Because the ships are kept anchored off the coast they are beyond the gaze of media, we get very little detail on what goes on. This Danish film demystifies the reality of piracy - at least from the point of view of the crew and shipping company. The emphasis is on the confusion, misery, fear, claustrophobia and power struggles. There isn't a hint of Hollywood in this low key movie. Yet our emotions are being played on as we adjust our views of the three main characters: Mikkel the cook, Peter the CEO and Omar. Omar the pirate's translator / negotiator in particular is a superbly ambiguous character. Is he really employed by the pirates or is he their leader?

This is one of those films that only when the credits roll do you realise how tense you have been. Also compare with the documentary The Captain and His Pirate.

Trailer

Ian's rating 4/5