• Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Aug 21, 2025
Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 14
  2. Negative: 1 out of 14

Critic Reviews

  1. Reviewed by: Joel Keller
    Aug 21, 2025
    80
    Hostage is a solid political thriller made better by the performances of Suranne Jones and Julie Delpy, especially when they’re on screen together.
  2. Reviewed by: Lucy Mangan
    Aug 21, 2025
    80
    It’s a rollicking, propulsive and compulsive yarn that also manages to give two great parts to two women of a certain age then leaves them to get on with it as characters rather than symbols.
  3. Reviewed by: Aramide Tinubu
    Aug 21, 2025
    80
    Despite some truly far-fetched storylines and one rather salacious twist, “Hostage” is certainly worth the ride.
  4. Reviewed by: Isabella Soares
    Aug 21, 2025
    80
    This is one of those TV shows that is made for a binge-watch, because although questions arise in every episode, the writers leave just the right number of revelations to keep you invested from start to finish.
  5. Reviewed by: Emily Baker
    Aug 21, 2025
    80
    Hostage is one of the best British dramas I’ve seen this year, and I couldn’t tear myself away from all five episodes – which is why I wish this wasn’t a Netflix show.
  6. Reviewed by: John Anderson
    Aug 21, 2025
    70
    Can a series be geopolitically preposterous and still be a bingeable romp? Sure, and there are plenty of examples, though not many as forthrightly crackpot and provocative as “Hostage.”
  7. Reviewed by: Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
    Aug 21, 2025
    65
    In five fast-paced episodes, Hostage introduces more than enough twists and red herrings to keep us coming back for more. Like many contemporary political dramas, however, you may find it more enjoyable if you politely hand-wave its relationship to real-world politics.