The Munich Olympics in 1972 were supposed to be a joyous and revelatory experience for the world. In the ashes of post-war Germany, the games were seen as a way to show everyone that Germany was on the right track to healing. Instead, on September 5th, 1972, a hostage crisis erupted in the middle of the games. The story of September 5 is that of ABC Sports and their coverage of the events, live. They were the only American news crew on the scene because of exclusive contracts in broadcasting the games. That meant that people who were there to cover live sports, had to cover live breaking news instead.

That story about the broadcast and how the people involved with it ends up as something that’s just as interesting as the actual event. Tim Fehlbaum directs and co-writes a script from Moritz Bender and Alex David. The main players of September 5 are Roone Arledge (played by Peter Sarsgaard), the head producer of ABC Sports coverage in Munich, Geoffrey Mason (played by John Magaro), a director/producer of coverage for the games, Marvin Bader (played by Ben Chaplin), operations manager, and Marianne Gebhardt (played by Leonie Benesch), a German translator for ABC Sports.

Why Is September 5 The Most Important Movie Of 2024?

We live in a world where information is instant. Information is also not reliable, even in that lightning-quick time frame that things break out. Think about most of the important historical events of the social media era, there’s a common thread of them all, misinformation. Through the course of September 5 you see live, the events and information trickling out through various channels like radio broadcasts, the police scanner, and German state news outlets. The way that characters react in September 5 is very much how you’d want legit journalists to act. There is a tension though. If you’re the first one with information, you get the ratings. Sarsgaard’s character Roone Arledge represents the draw and allure of popping the biggest ratings. Marvin Bader represents journalistic integrity. While Geoffrey Mason is caught in the middle trying to please both.

Showing off how the media used to act in situations like this is just why September 5 is so important. They still make mistakes, they air falsehoods based on limited information, they sensationalize the violence and terror on display, but they end up getting the information out to the public that needed it. It’s something that we all can learn from, especially in the news media. It also shows off how information can be twisted. Through the eyes of unlikely broadcasters, we see how the political and emotional elements affect the characters.

In a landscape of news media that routinely chooses speed over truth, it’s important to see where those two get pushed and pulled in a live situation like the hostage crisis on display in September 5.

The control room of ABC Sports is where most of the action takes place. In between, we’re given looks at the events through archival footage and reenactments. Those reenactments all take place in the studio, anything else is taken from the day of ABC’s broadcast.

Tim Fehlbaum’s direction here gives the events a frenetic feeling. If you’ve ever followed along with a live event like this, you know just what the pace feels like. Every atom in your body is vibrating and any update brings more tension. It keeps you on the edge of your seat during the whole film. I found myself leaning forward in my chair at several points in the film. Part of the appeal is that the performances feel genuine and raw. Sarsgaard’s performance is cold and calculated, like you would imagine. John Magaro and Ben Chaplin are the backbone of the film though. Magaro is on a different level here, providing one of the best performances of the year as Geoffrey Mason. Leonie Benesch is the secret weapon of the entire film though, without her performance, the emotional weight of the German side of things would not hit as hard.

September 5 shows off the tension between ratings and integrity alongside a thrilling historical event that unfolds as you watch. The performances in the film are what makes it so special. It weaves a chilling, topical story that throws back to an era when integrity and truth were the most important things. Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro are masterful in a movie that succeeds in every facet.

September 5 releases in theaters on November 29th, 2024.

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