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Director: Jeff Bleckner
Cast: Eric Stoltz, Charles Martin Smith, Leslie Hope, Denis Arndt
There has been a mid-air collision involving a passenger jet and a cargo flight, killing everyone aboard the two planes. The NTSB investigator in charge, whose girlfriend died in the crash, is puzzled. On one side, the air traffic controller claims he lost radar contact with the cargo plane shortly before impact, when his screen "blacked out." On the other side, everyone else, including the controller's bosses and the media, put the blame on human error. The truth is soon to be uncovered, as the aging air traffic control facilities are on the verge of failing right in the middle of the busy Thanksgiving season.
Critical Reception & Ratings
Blackout Effect, the 1998 thriller directed by Jeff Bleckner, has received a mixed critical reception. While some praised the film's tense atmosphere and exploration of air traffic control issues, others found the plot to be overly convoluted. The film does not appear to have received any major awards recognition, and audience ratings on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes are also somewhat divided.
Why you might like this:
Blackout Effect, directed by Jeff Bleckner in 1998, is a gripping drama that blends thrilling suspense with intriguing questions about the fragility of our air traffic control systems. Featuring powerful performances from Eric Stoltz and Charles Martin Smith, this film delves into the complex search for the truth behind a tragic mid-air collision, offering viewers a thought-provoking exploration of institutional accountability and the human cost of technological failures.
Blackout Effect is a 1998 made-for-television disaster/thriller film. Blackout Effect was originally broadcast on NBC on January 4, 1998.
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