Hostage Review: Unbelievable and binge-worthy drama that works if you suspend belief

Hostage Review: Unbelievable and binge-worthy drama that works if you suspend belief

(‘Hostage,’ directed by Isabelle Sieb and Amy Neil, began streaming on Netflix on 21st August and stars Suranne Jones, Julie Delpy, Corey Mylchreest, Ashley Thomas, Martin McCann.)

Politics in Europe today resembles an intriguing and darkly entertaining drama in many ways, with polarization dividing liberals versus a growing, aggressive far right dominating elections. As ‘The Diplomat’ swoops to the top on Netflix, another political thriller from Suranne Jones (of ‘Coronation Street’ fame) makes sense. The series is a typical high-stakes, high-intensity drama that packs a ton of surprises with good performances. Only the political parts are too far-fetched to be believed, unlike the finesse displayed in their Emmy-nominated American show.

Suranne Jones plays Abigail Dalton, a British prime minister who has won the election on the promise of rebuilding the beleaguered British medical system, the NHS. As life-saving drugs run out and people die across the country, outrage grows over her decisions to whittle down the British military forces. Cost-cutting measures aside, she has a growing headache with a tough, hard-line French president, Vivienne Toussaint (Julie Delpy), who is set to negotiate hard on border protection over a crucial summit. Amidst this high-stakes political meet, Dalton’s husband, a Médecins Sans Frontières doctor (Ashley Thomas), is kidnapped in French Guyana. As the British PM tries to keep it together by managing her distraught teenage daughter, her ailing father, and negotiating without her cabinet’s knowledge with her French counterpart, Britain keeps falling into chaos. Besides the British PM, President Toussaint is also being blackmailed. Both are women in positions of great power and grave responsibility, who now have to grapple with potential death, political ruin, and trust issues amongst their close aides. Each episode closes with a crisis that escalates the tumultuous situation and ends with a surprise, especially towards the final episodes.

Created by Matt Charman, who is best known for having written ‘Bridge of Spies’ (2015), this series packs thrills and unpacks the concept of high-level security. Despite having cutting-edge tech and the most well-trained professionals in charge of their protection, people in positions of power are vulnerable to betrayal, just like anybody else. It highlights the fact that as politics turns extreme and first-world countries also grapple with dropping income and supply shortages, people can be moved to make extreme choices. Both Jones and Delpy, as veteran and accomplished actors, deliver solid performances marked by measured responses. But the story does not explore the complexities of diplomacy and international politics with a detailed and precise lens. The approach is fundamentally simplistic—focusing on the ability to blackmail anyone and how this can shape the decisions of those in charge of running powerful nations.A

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Once the viewing of all five episodes in this limited series is complete and you emerge from the binge-worthy moments, it is hard to remember the political stance or position that either of these women actually had or the impact that their politics created beyond sudden crises on the people. Besides Jones and Delpy, Lucian Msamati and Jehnny Beth, as the two chiefs of staff for the British PM and the French president, respectively, leave an impact with their performances. Mylchreest has delivered a fairly decent performance, but the element of him being more or less eye candy (especially after ‘My Oxford Year’) dilutes its impact. The direction and production values are taut, with no time wasted. While the UK is currently facing economic and financial instability in some ways, the premise of this series reimagines potential worst-case scenarios. One can only hope that none of this turns out to be real. ‘Hostage’ is a fast-paced, binge-worthy drama, especially on rainy weekends. As for the political part, this is more a personal statement in defence of women leaders than a nuanced take on European diplomacy.

Rating: 3.5/5