‘Hostage’ series review: Suranne Jones, Julie Delpy anchor twisty political thriller

With five episodes well under an hour’s length each, packed with jaw-dropping twists, Bridge of Spies’ Matt Charman has created a fun watch in Hostage. After a montage showing Abigail Dalton (Suranne Jones), power through MP to Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, we come to the present day with Dalton preparing for talks with the French President, Vivienne Toussaint (Julie Delpy).

The National Health Service is in crisis with many life-saving drugs in short supply. Dalton wants to cut defense spending to revitalise health care. Toussaint, who is right-leaning, is willing to supply the drugs to Britain on the condition that French troops man the border crossing to France in Britain. The British are naturally against having a foreign power on their sovereign soil.

Dalton’s husband, Alex, (Ashley Thomas) is a doctor working with the Doctors Without Borders on an assignment in French Guiana. During these crucial talks, Alex and his colleagues are taken hostage with the kidnappers demanding Dalton step down in 24 hours as the price of his release. Being in French Guiana, Dalton asks Toussaint for help, which puts the French President in a position to drive a hard bargain.  

Once the compound where the doctors are being held is identified by secret service agent Thomas Mercer, (Gerald Kyd) and Toussaint is just about to give the order to the French Foreign Legion to storm the building, she gets a phone call, which changes everything.

A still from ‘Hostage’
| Photo Credit:
Netflix

Toussaint is married to a media mogul, Elias Vernier (Vincent Perez), who many believe was responsible for getting her the presidency. Vernier’s son, Matheo (Corey Mylchreest), is a political activist in London who speaks up against Toussaint’s policies at every chance. His meeting with his stepmother at a London gala dinner is awkward, especially for the grilling Toussaint gives his girlfriend, Saskia (Sophie Robertson).

Dalton’s father, Max (James Cosmo) is terminally ill, while her teenage daughter, Sylvie (Isobel Akuwudike), hopes her mother will do what it takes to bring her father home. Dalton is facing pressure from the Parliament and her cabinet, including from the Defence Secretary, Dan Ogilvy (Pip Carter).

The Chief of the Defence Staff, General Joseph Livingston (Mark Lewis Jones) is tough as they come. Shagan (Martin McCann), a former soldier, seems involved as is a decision Dalton made when she was a junior foreign minister.

In a political thriller like this, everyone has secrets and much to lose if the unsavoury stories were to come to light. Soon both the leaders realise there is a mole among them leaking information to the kidnappers who are revealed to be British.

A still from ‘Hostage’
| Photo Credit:
Netflix

As Ayesha (Hiftu Quasem), a political staffer, investigates the mole, the needle of suspicion swings from Kofi Adomako, (Lucian Msamati), the Downing Street Chief of Staff, to Adrienne Pelletier, (Jehnny Beth) the Secretary-General of the President’s Office.

Charman, who has also written Hostage, has created enough twists and turns to keep the viewer engaged through the show’s succinct run time. With the posited dangers not being too wild, there is a sense of believability, while the threats are not too close to reality as to be unsettling.

The role of the media is reassuringly critical (social media feeds are important, but not all-important) with journalists hanging about the famous 10 Downing Street doorway for information.

Jones and Delpy lend their considerable charisma to anchor the handsomely mounted show that chugs by smoothly on neatly-coiffed hair, well-cut pant suits, and clacking stilettos giving way to sneakers or should we say trainers?

Hostage currently streams on Netflix

Published – August 25, 2025 08:53 pm IST