![‘Hanging By A Wire’ Review: A Brisk Look At A Rescue As Compelling As Any Hollywood Thriller [Sundance]](https://cdn.theplaylist.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/23161813/Hanging_by_a_Wire-Still_1-scaled.jpg "‘Hanging By A Wire’ Review: A Brisk Look At A Rescue As Compelling As Any Hollywood Thriller [Sundance]")
In 2023, a rural community in Pakistan became the setting for a harrowing life-or-death situation in which a ramshackle cable car, one with a maximum occupancy of less than ten people and used primarily by students on their way to school, suddenly became stranded over a vast gorge after one of its support cables snapped, leaving the vessel immobile as described in the title of a new film detailing the events of that fateful day from start to finish. Using skilled reenactments, actual drone footage capturing the terrified faces of the car’s riders and talking head interviews with every key player involved, it’s a story akin to the infamous Copiapó mining accident, with this a brief moment in time when the world collectively worried and the entire event seemed to end just as quickly as it began. It may have lasted a handful of hours, but for all directly affected, it felt like a lifetime. This sentiment escapes from the mouths of numerous interviewees throughout “Hanging By a Wire,” and it’s easy to see why.
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The day was like any other. Background is provided on cable car travel throughout the area, with those narrating these scenes admitting that their structural integrity leaves plenty to be desired after decades of use. These cars, out of necessity, have remained the chief means of transportation. Still, one snapped cable is all it takes to send the community into a worried frenzy, with nearly everyone gathering at the edge of the ravine as rescue ideas begin to fly. A military helicopter, dispatched early to bring the matter to a close sooner rather than later, quickly finds itself unable to position itself safely near the car, and the one rescued occupant can do so only by performing a dangerous jump. With seven still remaining, five of which were teenagers and all without water, one lower-class cable car builder wishes to undertake his own rescue operation. Still, local authorities have another plan as a gym owner/zipline operator is soon called into action. With both wanting nothing more than for the safe return of all seven to the embrace of their families, how will the procedure unfold?
It’s not without tension, as director Mohammed Ali Naqvi infuses the action with an ominous score that emphasizes dramatic moments, such as when three people, on their way back to solid ground thanks to a jury-rigged zipline tether system, fly back towards the car with safety mere feet away after their rescue line becomes tangled amongst the branches of a tree. With both rescuers operating under nothing but the best of intentions, the head of police reveals that hiring a zipline company had something to do with money, offering an unusual class perspective even as both men can immediately be seen as heroes. The worry, stemming from parents as they reflect on the day, many of whom recall those hours as if they happened only moments ago, remains palpable throughout. Make no mistake, this made international news, even as it fortunately ended as quickly as it seemingly began.
To add an extra storytelling layer, Naqvi makes copious use of reenactments throughout, the majority of which shoulder the heavy lifting narratively by utilizing those directly involved to capture the unfolding events on film. In the process, it becomes difficult to distinguish such a project from any Hollywood-backed thriller, making for a unique experience as if someone was on site that day, somehow shooting everything that took place. By combining these scenes with a well-placed soundtrack, the story becomes something more.
Clocking in at right around ninety minutes, “Hanging By a Wire” is a nail-biting watch, one that never allows itself to become bogged down in excessive setup or backstory while allowing time for the pace to catch its breath just as it ratchets back to edge-of-your-seat fear. For those who have never heard of what happened three years ago in a small Pakistani community, take it in. As the rescue of eight unfolds, you might find yourself just as captivated as if you were there. [A+]
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