Netflix is understood for a lot of issues, however true crime (like that disturbing documentary about Kidfluencers) and barely serviceable thrillers (I am taking a look at you and your Die Onerous-like motion film, Dylan Sprouse) are certainly two of probably the most salient. Now, the streamer has mixed the 2 into the final word piece of Netflix “content material” and would not it, the result’s a worldwide mega-hit.
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“iHostage” is a brand new thriller from the streamer based mostly upon the real-life hostage occasion that occurred in Amsterdam again in 2022. On February 22 of that yr, a 27-year-old gunman entered the Apple Retailer in Leidseplein, Amsterdam, and held prospects hostage for nearly 5 hours, demanding €200 million in cryptocurrency to finish the ordeal. The hostage-taker, later recognized by Dutch newspaper Het Parool as Abdel Rahman Akkad, centered primarily on one captive buyer, a 44-year-old Bulgarian man, whereas others hid within the retailer and folks on the higher flooring of the constructing remained trapped. Through the disaster, police evacuated round 70 folks earlier than managing to take out Akkad in a way that proved controversial in The Netherlands.
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It was a very horrifying second, made all of the extra surreal by the very fact the gunman took selfies throughout the standoff and despatched them to native press. What’s extra, movies of the aftermath made the rounds on social media, including an unsavory voyeuristic side to an already horrendous scenario. Now, Netflix has turned the entire thing right into a film, which is seemingly getting much more consideration than the unique occasion itself if the streamer’s charts are something to go by.
iHostage is a worldwide Netflix hit
“iHostage” is directed by Bobby Boermans, who beforehand oversaw Netflix’s thriller sequence “The Golden Hour,” which simply so occurred to be a few terror assault in Amsterdam. His new movie, nonetheless, could be very a lot based mostly on actual occasions, although “iHostage” does change all of the characters’ names and inserts authentic dialogue into its retelling of the occasions of February 22, 2022. Boermans additionally selected to deal with 5 primary characters, and included CCTV and physique digital camera footage to attempt to preserve a sense of realism. All of which appears to have earned him and his film a spot on the Netflix high 10. In reality, it propelled the movie to the highest of the charts not simply within the U.S. or in its native Netherlands, however worldwide.
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“iHostage” debuted on Netflix April 18, 2025, and in line with FlixPatrol, a web site that tracks streaming viewership knowledge throughout the assorted platforms, has grow to be a worldwide hit. As of April 21, 2025, the film is charting in 92 international locations and is primary in 80 of them, together with within the U.S. the place the movie debuted at quantity two on April 19, earlier than taking the highest spot the next day. Elsewhere, “iHostage” has been primary since its arrival on the streamer and has really remained within the high spot in 30 international locations since its debut.
Unsurprisingly, then, all of this has made “iHostage” the primary movie on this planet on Netflix’s world charts. The film is at present quantity two in 9 different international locations, suggesting it might take the highest spot in these markets because the week goes on.
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Is iHostage value watching?
On the time of writing, “iHostage” would not have sufficient opinions on Rotten Tomatoes to have earned itself a Tomatometer rating. Of the three opinions which might be obtainable on the positioning, two are unfavourable and one is constructive. Social media reactions aren’t all that glowing, both, suggesting Netflix’s thriller would not fairly dwell as much as its triumphant chart efficiency.
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Nonetheless, director Bobby Boermans appears to have executed his finest to seize this real-life occasion in a method that speaks to the real-world points which drove Abdel Rahman Akkad to do what he did, whereas additionally attempting to make a good thriller. The Dutch filmmaker spoke to Time about “iHostage,” revealing that he’d spoken to Apple Retailer workers and prospects, police negotiators, and others throughout his analysis and that he needed his movie to talk to “our capability to assist one another, even in probably the most difficult instances.”
Whether or not he succeeded or not is as much as you to resolve, however there is no denying the movie’s Netflix success. To be able to stay within the primary spot on the worldwide charts, “iHostage” might want to proceed to fend off Sofia’s Carson’s romantic comedy “The Life Listing” which dominated Netflix just lately and stays within the quantity two spot globally. In the meantime, Mel Gibson’s controversial biblical drama “The Ardour of the Christ” is climbing its method up the worldwide charts, so “iHostage” will quickly have that to take care of.
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