Prime Time

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I cant recall the last Russian film I saw or even if Prime Time is the very first. Regardless of that, the straightforward premise is interesting from the get-go, and it doesnt waste any time, putting the viewers inside the action almost instantly. The initially suspenseful, tense atmosphere gradually becomes lighter and less threatening as the characters interpreted by Bartosz Bielenia, Magdalena Popławska, and Andrzej Kłak begin to understand each other. At first, this makes the hijacker and the hostages incredibly intriguing characters since the viewers still dont know anything about them.

Unfortunately, as time goes by, little do the ...

Director Jakub Piatek chooses to take the conventional approach in his hostage thriller Prime Time, a formulaic and disappointing effort that presents nothing unique nor exciting. Set on New Years Eve 1999, the film tells the story of disturbed young man Sebastian (Bartosz Bielenia), who hijacks a television studio and takes a famous game show host (Magdalena Poplawska) and a security guard hostage. Much like its lead character, the film doesnt seem have a plan of where it wants to go or how it wants to get there.

Bielenia is well-cast as the mentally unbalanced gunman, turning in a performance thats distressing and sad. When its revealed that Sebastian has been facing bullying and ridicule at the hands of his own father, the anger and f...