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Movie Review: 12 Hours in October (dir. Danny A. Abeckaser)
12 Hours in October is one of the most gut-punching films I’ve seen in a long time. This isn’t a movie made for casual viewing — it’s a visceral, unflinching portrayal of one of the deadliest terror attacks in recent history, and it demands attention. Danny A. Abeckaser has crafted something raw, urgent, and deeply real — a film that every viewer should witness not just as a piece of cinema, but as a window into a day the world can’t afford to forget.
The subject matter is incredibly serious: the film dramatizes the October 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel, when Hamas militants launched a coordinated assault across the border from Gaza. Among the worst-remembered scenes of that day was the massacre at the Nova music festival — then called the Supernova Sukkot Gathering — where hundreds of festivalgoers were celebrating near Kibbutz Re’im when militants overran the site, killing many and taking dozens of hostages. It was one of the deadliest acts of terror in Israel’s history and a pivotal moment that ignited the broader war that followed.
From the opening moments, the film carries you into that chaos with a sense of immediacy few dramas manage to achieve. Abeckaser doesn’t hide from the rawness of what happened — and that willingness to confront horror head-on is one of the movie’s greatest strengths. There’s a harrowing balance here between narrative filmmaking and documentary-like truth: toward the end of the film, real footage from the Hamas attackers’ own cameras underscores just how real the terror was, challenging viewers to look unflinchingly at what unfolded.
The performances from the Israeli cast are compelling and authentic in every respect. None of it feels staged or distant — you feel as if you’re living these minutes alongside them. What’s remarkable is how much the film conveys without dialogue; the sound design, the visuals, and the actors’ facial expressions do so much of the emotional work. Credit to the work of cinematographer Barry Markowitz, who delivers some stunning visual shots. The film has moments of silence heavy with tension, shots where you absorb the terror in a look rather than a word, and sequences where the score and soundscape feel as frightening as the visuals themselves.
This is horror rooted in reality — not ghosts or monsters, but real people and real violence. That’s what makes it so unsettling. It reminds you that the scariest stories aren’t fictional. Some moments are extremely difficult to watch, including the portrayal of a sexual assault and scenes of brutal violence. Some viewers will be turned off by the gore — and I won’t pretend those scenes are easy — but in context, they feel necessary to communicate the truth of what was inflicted on innocent civilians that day. Abeckaser doesn’t flinch from the horror because to flinch would be to understate the terror that actually happened.
Importantly, the film also attempts to show multiple sides of the context. Abeckaser doesn’t shy away from portraying members of Hamas and even their motivations and internal dynamics, giving a glimpse into how the cycle of violence and indoctrination unfolds. It’s not a justification — it’s an effort to illustrate the forces and decisions that led to that morning’s devastation.
By the time it ends, 12 Hours in October isn’t just a movie you watched — it’s a movie you carry with you. It educates while it haunts, and it reminds us that cinema can still challenge, provoke, and make the world reckon with uncomfortable truths.
- Acting / Voice: 9/10
- Entertainment: 7.5/10
- Story / Plot: 9.5/10
- Impression: 10/10
- Creativity: 8.5/10
FILM SCORE: 90%
This is the kind of film that matters — fearless, unvarnished, and unforgettable.
12 HOURS IN OCTOBER is now available as of January 6, 2026 on major digital and on-demand platforms including Apple TV, ITunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play, VOD, Spectrum, DirecTV, Frontier, Shaw, Comcast XFinity, Verizon Fios, Plex, Fandango, and additional outlets.
Photos: Courtesy of 2B Films
