The driving forces behind the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which have largely remained the same for over 75 years, are now evolving through the platforms it’s being reported on in recent years. Many people are now consuming the news through social media and websites on portable devices. However, the new movie September 5 is showing how an ABC Sports broadcast brought the world together as it reported on the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attacks on its broadcast television network.

The historical drama was directed and produced by Swiss-born filmmaker Tim Fehlbaum. The helmer also co-wrote September 5‘s screenplay with German scribe, Moritz Binder.

The movie details all the logistical hurdles the ABC Sports team needed to overcome in order to capture the crisis while it happened. They relied on massive television cameras, 16mm film stock and most importantly, their morals, to question how they should broadcast a situation in which many human lives were in mortal danger.

Set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, September 5 follows the ABC Sports broadcasting team as it quickly shifted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes who were taken hostage. Through this lens, the drama provides an important perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by millions of 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 Geoff’s mentor, Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), the up-and-coming producer unexpectedly takes the helm of the live coverage.

With the help of Marianne, who’s quickly promoted to being a major field reporter, Geoff and his team quickly realize that a drastically world-changing event is taking place. Palestinian terrorists, belonging to a group known as Black September, are responsible for taking the Israeli athletes hostage. They have done so with the expectation that hundreds of prisoners will be released in return.

While conflicting reports are being spread, the hostages’ lives are left hanging in the balance. As a result, Geoff grapples with tough decisions that confront his own moral compass.

The film immediately proves what an overall thrilling newsroom docudrama it is by infusing its story with early exposition about Geoff and his colleagues during its opening sequences. The feature opens with an exposé that introduces the ABC Sports crew behind-the-scenes, which emphasize their dedication to reporting the news in the most ethical and respectful way.

Fehlbaum and Binder’s script then transitions into a riveting play-by-play account of how the network’s sports team brought the Munich coverage to the screen. Geoff, Roone and their colleagues’ dedication to respectfully telling the story is set almost entirely in the control booth at ABC where they were headquartered to cover the games.

September 5‘s captivating point-of-view from its intimate setting was brought to the screen largely under the support of production designer Julian R. Wagner and set designer Andreas Zuhr. Geoff and his colleagues embark on a frantic journey to decide how to showcase the hostage situation in the most respectful way possible by scrutinizing the events as they unfold on their wall of television monitors. The tight, at times claustrophobic quarters influences how the control room makes risky journalistic judgements that may lead to a potentially extremely violent situation.

The movie’s editor, Hansjörg Weißbrich, further emphasized how the German police feared that their attempts to save the hostages were being affected by ABC’s broadcast. The drama includes actual footage of anchor Jim McKay being fed information on the air from the booth. The editor expertly cut in the archive news footage with recreations of the ABC Sports crew, which emphasized their emotions while they watched the hostage situation unfold on screen.

Weißbrich’s flawless editing of the archival footage from the titular date was blended with the uncanny recreations of the ABC crew working overtime. Those recreations were led by the superb acting by the entire cast, especially Magaro. The actor infused his portrayal of Geoff with a desperation to rise to the occasion against all odds.

Benesch also gave a standout performance as one of the film’s main supporting roles. She emphasizes how Marianne finds herself to be in one of the most difficult situations on the ABC Sports crew, as she’s serving as a middleman between the Germans and Americans. The interpreter not only holds the fate of the hostages’ lives in her translations, but must also ponder which country she’s truly serving.

In addition to the movie’s production design and editing, its gritty and naturalistic aesthetic was also driven by the work of cinematographer Markus Förderer. Guided by Fehlbaum’s attention to detail, the cinematographer remained true to the camera equipment that was available to news crews in 1972, including shaky 16mm and large studio rigs. They kept the camerawork intimate and over-the-shoulder, which allowed the final version of the drama to better focus on the performances.

September 5 is stylistically presented almost like a documentary to emphasize all the logistical hurdles the ABC Sports team needed to overcome in order to share such a tragic attack with the world. Combining expert cutting of archive footage and stellar actor reenactments, the film provides an important perspective on the broadcast of such an important world event, whose effects are still felt half-a-century later.

Overall: A-

Paramount Pictures will release September 5 in a limited theatrical release in the U.S. this Friday, December 13. The studio will then expand the film to a wide domestic theatrical release on January 17, 2025.

Our Interview with Director Tim Felbaum & Producer John Palmer 

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Here’s the trailer of the film.