''iHostage'' is a 2025

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

thriller film directed by Bobby Boermans and written by Simon de Waal. Released on April 18, 2025, on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

, the film is inspired by the real-life that occurred at an

Apple Store The Apple Store is a chain of Retail, retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc. The stores sell, service and repair various Apple products, including Macintosh, Mac desktop and MacBook laptop personal computers, iPhone smartphones, iPad ta ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

on February 22, 2022. The movie stars Soufiane Moussouli as the gunman, Admir Šehović as the main

hostage A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized—such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or government—to act, o ...

, and features a supporting cast including Loes Haverkort, Marcel Hensema, and Emmanuel Ohene Boafo. The narrative unfolds through the perspectives of the attacker, the hostages, and the police, blending suspense with emotional depth to depict a tense standoff.

Plot

The film centers on a gunman, portrayed as Ammar Ajar (a fictionalized version of the real assailant), who enters an Apple Store in Amsterdam's bustling

Leidseplein Leidseplein (English: Leiden Square) is a square in central Amsterdam, Netherlands. It lies in the Weteringschans neighborhood ( Centrum borough), immediately northeast of the Singelgracht. It is located on the crossroads of the Weteringschans ...

square, demanding over $200 million in

cryptocurrency A cryptocurrency (colloquially crypto) is a digital currency designed to work through a computer network that is not reliant on any central authority, such as a government or bank, to uphold or maintain it. Individual coin ownership record ...

and safe passage out of the city. He takes Ilian Petrov, a Bulgarian visitor (inspired by the real hostage whose identity remains undisclosed), as his primary hostage. While most customers escape, four others hide in a supply closet, and the police engage in a five-hour

negotiation Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more parties to resolve points of difference, gain an advantage for an individual or Collective bargaining, collective, or craft outcomes to satisfy various interests. The parties aspire to agree on m ...

. The crisis escalates when the hostage flees during a water delivery, leading to the gunman's dramatic takedown by a police vehicle, mirroring the controversial real-life resolution.

Production

Directed by Bobby Boermans, known for ''The Golden Hour'', and written by de Waal, a detective with access to insider accounts, ''iHostage'' was produced by Caviar Films and Horizon Film Amsterdam. Boermans, living near the incident site, was struck by the "surreal calm after the storm”, and aimed to capture the human resilience amid chaos. The filmmakers consulted police, Apple Store employees, and hostages to ensure authenticity, though they used fictional names to protect privacy. Filming took place in Amsterdam, with a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes, presented in Dutch with English subtitles.

Cast

* Soufiane Moussouli as Ammar Ajar * Admir Šehović as Ilian Petrov *

Loes Haverkort Loes Haverkort (born 19 January 1981) is a Dutch actress. She has performed in movies, television shows and theatre productions. Career Haverkort did her acting course at the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts. She has performed in the music ...

as Lynn *

Marcel Hensema Marcel Hensema (born 16 April 1970) is a Dutch film actor. He appeared in more than seventy films since 1993. In 2007 he won the Golden Calf for Best Actor The following is a list of winners of the Golden Calf for best actor/actress at the Nede ...

as Kees * Emmanuel Ohene Boafo as Mingus * as Abe * as Soof

Release and reception

''iHostage'' premiered on Netflix on April 18, 2025, quickly climbing to the No. 1 spot on the platform’s U.S. top 10 list. Reviews have been mixed. Critics on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

note strong performances but criticize the lack of emotional depth and character development, with a consensus that it’s a "watchable but unremarkable thriller.” The film’s depiction of the police’s unconventional ending—running down the gunman—has sparked debate, reflecting the real-life controversy in the Netherlands.

Historical context

The film draws from the February 22, 2022, incident where 27-year-old Abdel Rahman Akkad took a 44-year-old Bulgarian man hostage, demanding €200 million in

. After firing shots and trapping others, the standoff ended when the hostage escaped, and police struck Akkad with a vehicle, leading to his death. The event, rare in the Netherlands, prompted public discourse on mental health and police tactics, themes Boermans hoped to explore through the film.

References

{{reflist 2025 thriller films Dutch thriller films Dutch-language films Netflix original films Films set in 2022