A humanist character study in genre-film’s clothing, The Taking of Pelham 123 packs a hijacked subway car full of cops, robbers, and bystanders of every walk of life. These aren't machine-made characters, but individuals with gallows humor, paranoia, warmth and resiliency, with performances and nuances that transcend it’s action plot and paint a fascinating portrait of a time, a place, and the complexity of human beings under extreme circumstances.