🎬 iHostage (2025) Review – Netflix’s True-Story Dutch Thriller Grips but Lacks Depth
Genre: Crime Thriller, Drama
Director: Bobby Boermans
Writer(s): Simon de Waal
Cast: Soufiane Moussouli, Admir Šehović, Loes Haverkort, Marcel Hensema, Emmanuel Ohene Boafo
Platform: Netflix (Released April 18, 2025)
Runtime: ≈ 105 minutes
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🌟 Introduction
iHostage dramatizes the chilling 2022 Apple Store hostage crisis in Amsterdam, where an assailant demanded cryptocurrency and threatened violence. Directed by Bobby Boermans and scripted by Simon de Waal, the film aims to balance suspense and emotional insight—but comes up short in character development, according to critics .
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🔍 Plot & Structure
The story unfolds from Ammar Ajar’s perspective (Soufiane Moussouli), the gunman who stages the takeover, and that of his primary hostage Ilian Petrov (Admir Šehović). With supplementary viewpoints from hostages confined in a supply closet and the police negotiating outside, the narrative builds tension through escalating demands, failed communication, and an abrupt escape attempt .
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🎥 Tension & Atmosphere
The confined setting—bright retail space turning into a battleground—enhances claustrophobia and suspense.
The negotiation sequences stay realistic and restrained, portraying quiet threats more than cinematic violence .
The real-time structure sustains suspense, but feels unevenly paced at times.
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🌟 Performances
Soufiane Moussouli offers a chilling, controlled portrait of Ajar—effectively humanizing without excusing.
Admir Šehović captures a hostage’s panic and vulnerability consistently across scenes.
Supporting actors like Loes Haverkort and Marcel Hensema add credible human reactions but lack standout exploration due to limited screen time .
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⚠️ Strengths & Weaknesses
✅ Strengths ❌ Weaknesses
Gripping real-world groundwork Minimal character development
Solid lead performances Emotional depth left unexplored
Effective claustrophobic tension Abrupt resolution feels under-whelming
Realistic hostage negotiations Lacks broader thematic resonance
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📱 Audience Suitability
Watch if you like:
Tense, by-the-book police thrillers
Real hostage crises adapted from true events
International-language Netflix originals
Skip if you prefer:
Deep psychological or character-driven dramas
Broader political or thematic context
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