"Sully" Review (Spoiler Free)

(Honestly, there's not much to spoil. It's a true story.)

Tonight, my family and I went and saw the movie Sully with Tom Hanks in the lead role. For those who do not know, Sully is about the airplane that crashed in the Hudson River back in 2009 where all 155 crew members and passengers survived. The plot focuses mainly on the pilot, Chelsey Sullenberger, and his mindset during and afterwards. 

I vaguely remember this happening. I was not on the internet in 2009 (I joined Tumblr in 2010 and it was all downhill from there) nor did we have television. Therefore, I only caught the occasional news at school or if a family member or friend decided to share with me. Since this plane crash was such big news, everybody was talking about it. However, I don’t remember it that clearly. I remember people talking about a plane crashing and everyone surviving and I faintly remember the name Chelsey Sullenberger (probably because it’s kind of a strange name), but I guess it was not really impressed upon me how huge it was that a plane had gone down and there were no casualties. So it didn’t really stick in my mind.

Cut to tonight and I’m about to watch the movie. I knew it was a true story, but it still had not occurred to me that this was something that I had actually been around for. I had heard about it in the news. I had been alive for this event. This was something so impressive and miraculous that I had been alive to witness... and I did not even remember it.

It slowly came back to me throughout the movie as I saw images of rescue boats and newscasters talking about the remarkable save. It all seemed vaguely familiar and I began to remember ever so slightly.

Chelsey Sullenberger

So, as for the movie itself... it was excellent. It really sucks you in and you feel like you are right there on the plane with those passengers or with the pilot (depending on which scene you’re watching). I was totally bracing myself for impact when the captain said so and I almost feared for my life right along with everybody on that plane. It was insane and so well done! Movies that can bring you right into the action and the story like that are the best kind; because there are so many movies that you can just watch and be entertained by with their impressive effects, amazing action, beautiful sets, etc., but you aren’t fully invested, just entertained. You are aware you’re simply watching a story. Movies like this one do it right.

Tom Hanks was amazing as he always is. You really feel for his character-- this real person he is portraying. You forget you’re watching an actor. This is a real person with real problems and real emotions. Watching what he had to go through on that plane, the decisions he had to make, and then afterwards with his PTSD and dealing with the press and legal affairs is incredible. Tom Hanks pulls off the “everyday hero” who is confident in his abilities, but still humble in his actions, determined to do right.

Of course, there are times when it gets a little dry. There’s a lot of technical talk about planes, flight patterns, altitudes, and so on as they discuss how and why the plane crashed and how it might have been prevented. The performances given in each of the interviews are very intense and manage to keep you engaged, but when it comes down to it, unless you’re a pilot or work with planes, most likely you will have no idea what they are talking about and just assume that Captain Sullenberger is right and everyone else is wrong.

In short, it was a very good movie. Even though you know how everything turns out, it still manages to keep you engaged and emotionally invested. I would give it an 8/10.

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