The least the politicians can do is tell their citizens nothing but the truth. This is what the French president, Vivienne Toussaint (Julie Delpy), tells the British Prime Minister, Abigail Dalton (Suranne Jones), in Hostage, created by Matt Charman. Given the rise of right-wing politics around the globe, a statement like this sadly feels like a pipe dream — pure wish fulfillment. Our leaders in the real world are constantly distorting or hiding the truth. They are behaving like power-hungry maniacs. Most of the mainstream media has yielded to their influence, and some government organizations appear compromised by the ruling government. In such a bleak scenario, politicians like Vivienne and Abigail look like a beacon of hope. They remind you why democracy is worth saving and essential, and why you need a leader who respects the democratic institution. Of course, both Vivienne and Abigail are far from perfect. The former wants strict immigration rules, while the latter has put the healthcare of her country at risk (there is a shortage of medicines). Abigail has also gutted the military, which means there aren't many armed forces in the United Kingdom. To give you an idea of the scarcity of the military forces, let me just tell you what happens when Abigail's husband, Dr Alex Anderson (Ashley Thomas), is kidnapped: Only one man is sent from the UK to trace Alex. When he locates Abigail's husband and his co-workers, he requests backup, which turns out to be the French military forces. All Vivienne has to do is give the orders, but at the last moment, she chooses to abort the mission. What just happened? Also, who kidnapped Alex?
Hostage doesn't hide the kidnapper's face till the end. All it conceals is his name, which we learn later. This hostage-taker is played by Martin McCann, and...does he belong to a terrorist organization? What this character wants is Abigail's resignation. Why? His motives could be personal, considering the line, "I also had a daughter." Is Abigail directly or indirectly responsible for the daughter's murder? If yes, then how? One of the biggest strengths of Hostage is that it sets up an intriguing, suspenseful atmosphere. It keeps us wondering what will happen next, and it doesn't offer us even a moment of respite. The pace is fast and relentless. Directors Isabelle Sieb and Amy Neil keep you hooked; they rarely allow you to take a breather. It helps that there is no flab in the material. Hostage is lean, mean, and tense. It follows its objective like a bullet train running on a straight path. This is a taut thriller about the past catching up to the present. An intense affair, an official order, a decision to prioritize one thing over the other - everything returns with a vengeance. All the dots are skillfully connected. The series moves with such speed, such efficiency, that you might find yourself a bit breathless. "If we stand still, we are dead. We have to keep moving," says Vivienne. Her words become the motto of this enjoyable show.
This positive aspect also gives rise to a flaw. The fact that Hostage tightly tethers itself to the plot means that there is little room for personal exploration. When Alex eventually returns and is placed under medical observation, the effects of PTSD are clearly visible in the look of shock on his face and the tremble in his hands. Hostage, though, simply teases this psychological trauma. It ends along with the scene itself. Alex and Abigail's daughter, Sylvie (Isobel Akuwudike), experiences the pain of her father's abduction and suffers the loss of his granddad, Max (James Cosmo). What effect these incidents have on her is merely conveyed blandly through generic expressions. I was surprised to see that Max is very much like an Indian parent. He teaches "service before self" to his daughter, but discards his own teachings when Alex gets in trouble. Many Indian parents like to teach their children about sacrifice, duty, selfless service, and honor — but when their children actually choose to follow these paths, the same parents often pull them back. This small detail, however, doesn't infuse much complexity into the father-daughter bond. Abigail and Max's thread would have ended the same way without that confrontation. The series simply informs that Max used to teach Abigail specific values in the past. The information doesn't shade this relationship with any new dramatic colors. This choice is intentional; Charman, after all, is making a show for the typical second-screen Netflix audiences. Hostage, as a result, cannot be psychologically complex. It can, however, be a good, competent thriller — which, thankfully, it is — and even better, it looks clean and professional. That's more than you can say about most Netflix Originals.
Final Score- [6.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times