Hostage

What’s it about?

While working on a humanitarian placement in French Guiana, UK Prime Minister Abigail Dalton’s husband, Dr. Alex Anderson, is kidnapped. At the same time, French President Vivienne Toussaint is blackmailed, forcing the two leaders, despite their rivalry, into a dangerous political showdown where every choice comes with devastating consequences.

The facts 

• Created by Matt Charman 
• English and French languages
• Runtime: There are five episodes which are approximately 46 minutes each 

Why did it get this rating? 

This series was self-rated by Netflix. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Violence

The violence in Hostage is intense and sometimes shocking, but it isn’t constant. Most of it happens during key moments and is more about tension, kidnappings, and sudden attacks than ongoing violence. Some characters are shown with blood, but injuries are not shown in graphic detail.

The strongest scenes include:

• A hostage is executed on a video call.
• A bomb hidden in a laptop explodes at Downing Street.
• A teenager shoots a character in the final showdown.

When content stays with you: 

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.  

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information 

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?