Paramount Plus adds 'gripping' thriller with 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating

Paramount Plus has just added a 'gripping' historical drama fans say will stop you from playing on your phone while watching.

2024 release September 5 has now been added to the streamer's library. It is accessible either via its own dedicated app, or as an add-on subscription through Amazon Prime Video.

The film is also available to those who have Sky Cinema or a movie pass on NOW. Based on a shocking true story, according to the movie's synopsis, the title unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news today.

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Set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, the film follows an American Sports broadcasting team that quickly adapted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage. Through this lens, September 5 provides a fresh perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by an estimated one billion people at the time.

At the heart of the story is Geoff (John Magaro), a young and ambitious producer striving to prove himself to his boss, the legendary TV executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard). Together with German interpreter Marianne (Leonie Benesch) and his mentor Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), Geoff unexpectedly takes the helm of the live coverage.

As narratives shift, time ticks away, and conflicting rumours spread, with the hostages' lives hanging in the balance, Geoff grapples with tough decisions while confronting his own moral compass.

September 5 registered an impressive 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

One critic said of the film: "A solid thriller from start to finish whose Oscar-nominated script invites us to reflect on how and why the news media does what it does."

Another added: "September 5 is absolutely riveting, a peek at the earnest and ambitious people who unwittingly changed broadcast television by trying their best under exceptional circumstances. Despite knowing the outcome, you can’t look away."

Film fans are full of just as much praise, with one going so far as to claim it is "one of the best movies of the year."

Another posted: "Truly amazing. Gripping. Whether you already know the real events or not, it will keep your attention every second. This is not a movie to watch while you play on your phone."

While someone else said: "Exceptional filmmaking that tells a heart-pounding and heartbreaking story from a new point of view. It explores universal questions while staying grounded in specific details. Outstanding."

September 5 is streaming on Paramount+, Sky Cinema and NOW.