10 gripping Apple TV thrillers to binge next if you've finished Hijack

Hijack is back on our screens for its anticipated second season and as well as taking us underground this time around, the thriller continues to throw its viewers headfirst into another heart-pounding sequence of events.

Where the first season felt almost claustrophobic with the fear of what could be next, the second still retains that same level of unease. However, it does dig deeper into Sam Nelson's (Idris Elba) circumstances and how he's come to find himself embroiled in another hijacking situation.

As we brace ourselves (quite literally) for another tense instalment of Hijack, fans will have to bide their time to find out what happens next as episodes land weekly on Apple TV. To fill the void or even to add to the watchlist for your post-Hijack binge-watch, there are plenty of other options on the same streamer to tuck into.

Whether you purchased an Apple TV subscription specifically for Hijack or whether you're a longtime lover of the platform, there are plenty of options that can scratch a similar itch to Hijack. While not recreating tense transport-related hostage situations, these thrillers do tap into equal levels of tension, stress and anxiety or hone in on an enigmatic protagonist that's just trying to get to the bottom of an escalating situation.

Keen to know more? Scroll on to find out what series you should be tuning into after watching Hijack, all of which can helpfully be found on Apple TV.

Black Bird

There's a level of unease that you just have to accept when watching Black Bird, which is very similar to the way Hijack takes you through several twists and turns. The writing and performances in Black Bird are a notch above Hijack, we'll say, with the series focusing on charismatic drug dealer Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) who is offered a deal for freedom. The catch is that he has to illicit a confession from serial killer Larry Hall, played excellently and eerily by Paul Walter Hauser.

The only way to go about getting that key piece of evidence may present itself as simple but befriending a cold-blooded killer is far from easy for Jimmy, who has to do so with the prior knowledge that he's dealing with a seriously disturbed individual. Egerton and Hauser are an expert double act in this and the cat-and-mouse of it all doesn't have the glossy action sequences of Hijack, but certainly strikes an arguably stronger chord.

The Crowded Room

Another pulsating thriller that doesn't have to utilise stylised action performances or props to grip viewers, The Crowded Room is one of Apple TV's more underrated gems. While the story can feel a little slow at times, the series has a similar semi-claustrophobic feel to Hijack as we follow Danny (Tom Holland), who has been arrested for his involvement in a shooting.

Without giving away the overarching premise, Danny's life is explored through interviews with interrogator Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried) and while the story can be winding at 10 episodes, the final episodes (and the last in particular) are a welcome change in pace. Not only do they pull the viewer through what ends up being a race against time, but they also encapsulate why Holland was the perfect leading man for such a nuanced role.

Slow Horses

While Hijack's Sam Nelson is far from being part of MI5, the way the Idris Elba series weaves in a high-stakes mission and some serious villains is akin to one of Apple TV's most popular shows, Slow Horses. Based on the Slough House series of novels by Mick Herron, it's clear to see why Slow Horses is such a hit with so many viewers: it's witty, expertly balances drama and comedy while retaining its fast pacing, all the while showing us how this team of dysfunctional MI5 agents defends England from sinister forces.

Headed up by Gary Oldman's Jackson Lamb, who is an ever cynical force in the series, the drama boasts stellar performances from Jack Lowden, Rosalind Eleazar and Kristin Scott Thomas (to name a few). But really, it's all the flawed characters and tense missions that make Slow Horses a memorable spy thriller.

Suspicion

Hijack fans will know that the thing that matters most to Elba's Sam Nelson is his family and that underpins the premise of Suspicion, which focuses on a prominent businesswoman and mother (Uma Thurman) who is on a desperate search for her son after he is kidnapped from a New York hotel. While not a hijacking scenario, Suspicion does have that lingering sense of doubt and intrigue that Hijack has, especially as the eye of suspicion falls on four British individuals who were all at the hotel on the night in question.

Severance

It's safe to say that Severance rules the roost when it comes to mind-bending stakes of TV, but Hijack does try to reach those heady heights too with its twists and red herrings. One of the most popular shows on the platform, the series centres on Mark (Adam Scott) who leads a team of office workers. But this is no edition of The Office, oh no. It turns out that their memories have been divided between their work and personal lives, quite literally enforcing the work-life balance that so many of us struggle with in real life.

An unraveling mystery brings into question everything Mark thought to be true and the overarching enigma of it all is very reflective of the massive question marks that hang over Hijack – just with a lot more of a dystopian feel.

Silo

Hijack may have made all of us feel slightly claustrophobic with its close settings of an aeroplane and an underground train, but Silo raises them one better – a giant underground silo. This sci-fi series is set in a toxic future where thousands of people live deep underground but when a person is murdered, it brings into question some mysterious circumstances. Rebecca Ferguson leads the cast as engineer Juliette, who is at the heart of finding out the truth and is reminiscent of the same grit and determination of Hijack's Sam.

Down Cemetery Road

Another great drama based on books by Slow Horses author Mick Herron, Down Cemetery Road is another sure hit of a series that hits all the same tense and propulsive beats as Hijack – if not to a better degree. Similarly to Hijack, there's a larger government plot to dig into under the surface of Down Cemetery Road, which sees Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson join forces after an explosion occurs in a close-knit neighbourhood.

But it's Fehinti Balogun's character of Amos that takes the tension of the series up a notch, with his cat-and-mouse chase of the two leads providing much of the edge-of-your-seat action in this smart and hilarious series.

Prime Target

Hijack's similar sense of being watched and surveilled by a mysterious evil force actually also follows Leo Woodall's character in Prime Target. In the drama, he stars as a mathematician who figures out that an enemy is trying to destroy his idea, which also sees him cross paths with an NSA agent who has also been tasked with reporting on his behaviour. The reality is that he's at the heart of a wider conspiracy, something that Hijack fans will know about all too well.

The Last Thing He Told Me

Now, the essence of this series is centred on a woman's search for answers about her husband's disappearance, so it may not initially seem like a clear companion to Hijack. But actually, the hunting for the truth and uncovering of secrets while also forging deeper relationships (in The Last Thing He Told Me, Hannah does so with her stepdaughter) is a red thread in both series. Jennifer Garner is another high-profile name and in this series, she leads the cast as Hannah Hill, who is intent on protecting her family.

Echo 3

For our final entry, if you're looking for a similar dose of high-stakes action to Hijack then look no further than Echo 3. This South America-set series follows a young scientist who goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela border and in the aftermath of her disappearance, her brother and husband must join forces to find her. Both with their own set of issues, complicated pasts and military experience, they must bandy together to search for her – but there's a secret war that's unfolding in the background of this action-packed drama.

Hijack season 2 will premiere on Apple TV on Wednesday 14th January 2026. Hijack season 1 is available to stream on Apple TV, sign up now with a 7-day free trial.

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