Hostage movies and TV shows
The list contains the best, new and most relevant hostage movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out suspenseful, realistic, serious, tense, suspense and psychological thriller films and TV shows about / with hostage, confined, kidnapping, danger, kidnapped, hostage situation, vengeance, chase, murder and violence plots mostly in Thriller, Crime and Drama genres shot in USA, UK, Germany and other countries.
3934
TOP 10 movies tagged as hostage: Funny Games (2007), Girl in the Basement (2021), The Keeper (2004), Red Eye (2005), Cherry Tree Lane (2010), Trapped (2002), Captain Phillips (2013), Hostages (2013), Dynamite (2004), Vacancy (2007).
Best films
New films
| Red Sonja (2025) | 4.6 | |
| Day of Reckoning (2025) | 4.5 | |
| Ballerina (2025) | 6.8 | |
| High Ground (2025) | 4.4 | |
| Good News (2025) | 6.6 |
110K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, France, UK, Austria, Germany, Italy
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
When Ann, husband George and son Georgie arrive at their holiday home they are visited by a pair of polite and seemingly pleasant young men. Armed with deceptively sweet smiles and some golf clubs, they proceed to terrorize and torture the ...
Style:
psychological, disturbing, scary, brutal, bad ending ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
serial killer, hostage, torture, psychopath, home invasion, danger, bad guy wins, maniac, murder, brutality, violence, torment ...
Time:
year 2007, 2000s, year 2008, 21st century
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
A rich man's daughter is held captive in an abandoned apartment by two former convicts who abducted her and hold her ransom in exchange for her father's money.
Style:
sexy, brutal, suspenseful, erotic, psychological ...
Plot:
hostage, kidnapping, twists and turns, bondage, sex, female nudity, woman in danger, abduction, sexual content, woman in jeopardy, confined, love triangle ...
Time:
year 2009, 20th century, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
europe, england, britain, united kingdom
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
Sara is a teen girl who is looking forward to her 18th birthday to move away from her controlling father Don. But before she could even blow out the candles, Don imprisons her in the basement of their home.
Style:
suspense, captivating, suspenseful, dark, psychological ...
Audience:
teens, date night
Plot:
basement, abusive father, father, hostage, father and daughter, captivity, strict father, hidden room, domineering father, bomb shelter, violent father, rescue ...
Time:
20th century, 21st century
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Drama
Country: UK, USA, Canada
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
When an apparently exemplary cop abducts and secretly imprisons a beautiful dancer, a deadly battle of wills between captor and captive ensues.
Style:
psychological thriller, psychological, suspenseful, rough, serious ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
hostage, woman in danger, psychopath, missing person, deputy sheriff, isolation, law enforcement, stalking, riddles and clues, captivity, who done it, danger ...
Place:
asia, usa
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
165K
Genre: Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
After attending the funeral of her grandmother in Dallas, the Lux Atlantic Hotel manager Lisa is waiting for a flight to Miami. Due to the bad weather and consequent flight delay, she meets in the airport bar Jack Rippner, who is also in the waiting ...
Style:
psychological thriller, intense, psychological, suspense, exciting ...
Audience:
girls' night, teens, boys' night
Plot:
airplane, terrorism, hitman, kidnapping, hostage, woman in danger, villain, airport, fear, strong female lead, stewardess, conspiracy ...
Time:
2000s, year 2005, 21st century
Place:
miami, dallas texas, texas, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 77 min.
Story:
Prosperous professional couple Mike and Christine are settling in for a standard evening of wine, TV and low-level marital hostility when a ring on their doorbell changes everything. Turns out their son Sebastian is in a little trouble with some ...
Style:
disturbing, realistic, serious, suspenseful, scary ...
Plot:
hostage, home invasion, juvenile delinquency, revenge, danger, parents and children, confined, family in danger, isolation, domestic disturbance, kidnapped, gang ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
britain, london, europe
Is relevant?
27K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
When their daughter is kidnapped by experienced nappers (Bacon and Love), the Jennings' (Theron and Townsend) turn the tables on this seemingly foolproof plan.
Style:
suspense, sexy, clever, scary, serious ...
Audience:
kids, teens, girls' night
Plot:
kidnapping, psychopath, hostage, ransom, asthma, psycho killer, family bonds, happy ending, profanity, blackmail, captive, betrayal ...
Time:
year 2002, 21st century
Place:
usa, oregon, seattle, san francisco, new orleans
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, Malta
Duration: 134 min.
Story:
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
Style:
tense, suspense, realistic, captivating, factual ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
hostage, ship, survival, terrorism, rescue, kidnapping, escapades, ship captain, ocean, hostage situation, piracy, pirate ...
Time:
year 2013, 2010s, 2000s, year 2009, 21st century
Place:
somalia, africa, middle east, america, usa ...
Is relevant?
10K
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min.
TV show
Story:
Hostages is an American drama television series that airs on CBS as part of the 2013–14 American television season. The series is based on a similar Israeli series created by Alon Aranya, Omri Givon, and Rotem Shamir which will premiere on October ...
Style:
tense, suspenseful, realistic, serious, tension ...
Plot:
hostage, husband wife relationship, political conspiracy, held captive, blackmail, escape attempt, u.s. president, moral dilemma, family in danger, surgery, confined, danger ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
new york, usa
Is relevant?
279
Genre: Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
A woman's life is turned upside down when three armed robbers invade her home.
Style:
serious, realistic, suspenseful, tense
Plot:
hostage, kidnapping, family in danger, criminal's revenge, confined, crime gone awry, isolation, teenage girl, woman in jeopardy, abuse, fire, mother daughter relationship ...
Is relevant?
113K
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
A young married couple becomes stranded at an isolated motel and find hidden video cameras in their room. They realize that unless they escape, they'll be the next victims of a snuff film.
Style:
slasher, scary, suspenseful, psychological thriller, disturbing ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
serial killer, trapped, murder, hotel, survival horror, hostage, danger, voyeurism, kidnapped, estranged couple, motel, macabre ...
Time:
year 2007, 21st century
Place:
north carolina, usa
Is relevant?
300K
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 81 min.
Story:
A slick New York publicist who picks up a ringing receiver in a phone booth is told that if he hangs up, he'll be killed... and the little red light from a laser rifle sight is proof that the caller isn't kidding.
Style:
suspense, suspenseful, tense, psychological, clever ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
hostage, psychopath, sniper, dishonesty, mind game, trapped, cell phone, hopes, plot twist, secret relationship, lone hero, sin ...
Time:
2000s, 20th century, year 2002, 21st century
Place:
new york, usa, manhattan new york city
Is relevant?
422K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
Bank robber Dalton Russell enters a Manhattan bank, locks the doors and takes hostages, working methodically and without haste. Detective Frazier is assigned to negotiate, but his mind is occupied with the corruption charges he is facing. With an ...
Style:
clever, detective, suspense, tense, surprise ending ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
heist, robbery, bank, bank robbery, hostage, twists and turns, perfect crime, master criminal, plot twist, deception, police detective, caper ...
Time:
2000s, year 2006, 21st century
Place:
new york, manhattan new york city, usa
Is relevant?
464K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
Cab driver Max picks up a man who offers him $600 to drive him around. But the promise of easy money sours when Max realizes his fare is an assassin.
Style:
neo noir, clever, tense, atmospheric, suspense ...
Audience:
date night, manly, boys' night
Plot:
hitman, hostage, taxi, taxi driver, contract killer, sociopath, twists and turns, assassin, nihilism, merciless, professional killer, death ...
Time:
year 2004, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
los angeles, california, south america, southern california, persia ...
Is relevant?
110K
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
A young man receives an emergency phone call on his cell phone from an older woman. She claims to have been kidnapped – and the kidnappers have targeted her husband and child next.
Style:
suspenseful, sexy, clever, suspense, exciting ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens
Plot:
kidnapping, hostage, cell phone, lone hero, violence, race against time, home invasion, kidnapped, telephone call, family in danger, psychopath, twists and turns ...
Time:
year 2004, 21st century
Place:
los angeles, usa
Is relevant?
253
Genre: Action
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
A family living in an isolated cabin in the woods are terrorized by a gang of escaped convicts. Their leader, a serial killer, is a disturbed Vietnam veteran. What the gang doesn't know is that the family's father is also a Vietnam ...
Style:
independent film, realistic, serious, psychological, scary ...
Plot:
hostage, vietnam war, criminal heroes, gang, violence spree, chases and races, confined, danger, on the road, family in danger, missing person, kidnapping ...
Time:
year 1988
Place:
vietnam, asia
Is relevant?
39K
Genre: Crime, Horror, Thriller
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Angela, a corporate climber, gets stuck working late on Christmas Eve and finds herself the target of an unhinged security guard. With no help in sight, the woman must overcome physical and psychological challenges to survive.
Style:
scary, suspense, psychological, slasher, christmas horror ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens
Plot:
obsession, survival, psychopath, woman in danger, kidnapping, escape attempt, danger, maniac, hostage, violence, stalking, stalker ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa, manhattan new york city, new york
Is relevant?
Genre: Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
When a couple is taken hostage in their home by an intruder, a simple home invasion robbery turns into something much more complicated...
Style:
sexy, suspenseful, tense, captivating, suspense ...
Plot:
hostage, couples, heist, danger, confined, betrayal, vengeance, dishonesty, older man younger woman relationship, kidnapping, woman on top, sex scene ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
153K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min.
Story:
John Quincy Archibald is a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it. Therefore, he decides to take a hospital full of patients hostage ...
Style:
sincere, tear jerker, tense, suspenseful, sentimental ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
hostage, hospital, injustice, twists and turns, organ donation, insurance, sick child, father son relationship, fighting the system, doctor, medical, parent child relationship ...
Time:
year 2002, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
usa, chicago, illinois
Is relevant?
223K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
Russian terrorists conspire to hijack the aircraft with the president and his family on board. The commander in chief finds himself facing an impossible predicament: give in to the terrorists and sacrifice his family, or risk everything to uphold ...
Style:
suspense, exciting, suspenseful, entertaining, intense ...
Audience:
manly, boys' night, girls' night
Plot:
airplane, hostage, president, secret service, terrorism, white house, terrorist, hijacking, conspiracy, head of state, u.s. president, heroism ...
Time:
90s, year 1997, 20th century
Place:
afghanistan, russia, washington d.c., iraq, germany ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Horror, Western
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
The sequel to House of 1000 Corpses – the Firefly family are ambushed at their isolated home by Sheriff Wydell and a squad of armed men guns blazing – yet only Otis and his sister, Baby, manage to escape the barrage of bullets unharmed. Hiding ...
Style:
scary, bloody, suspense, cult classic, dark ...
Audience:
date night, boys' night
Plot:
serial killer, revenge, torture, brutality, psychopath, sheriff, kidnapping, maniac, violence, female villain, hostage, killer clown ...
Time:
70s, year 2005, 2000s, y2k, year 2000 ...
Place:
texas, bolivia, austin texas, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min.
Story:
When the White House (Secret Service Code: "Olympus") is captured by a terrorist mastermind and the President is kidnapped, disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped within the building. As the national ...
Style:
rough, political thriller, serious, suspense, intense ...
Audience:
chick flick, manly, girls' night, teens, boys' night
Plot:
terrorism, secret service, president, hostage, white house, terrorist attack, one man army, politics, daring rescue, u.s. president, commando mission, propaganda ...
Time:
year 2013, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
washington d.c., north korea, usa, north america, pentagon
Is relevant?
263K
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
Novelist Paul Sheldon crashes his car on a snowy Colorado road. He is found by Annie Wilkes, the "number one fan" of Paul's heroine Misery Chastaine. Annie is also somewhat unstable, and Paul finds himself crippled, drugged and at her ...
Style:
psychological, suspenseful, disturbing, atmospheric, scary ...
Audience:
girls' night, adult
Plot:
obsession, insanity, hostage, loneliness, psychopath, stephen king, kidnapping, snow, isolation, captivity, obsessed fan, female psychopath ...
Time:
90s, 20th century, year 1990, 80s
Place:
colorado, persia, usa, new york
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
613
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Greece, Turkey, Austria
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
Inspired by the real-life story of a bus hijacking in Northern Greece, HOSTAGE explores the sensitive issue of Greek-Albanian relations through a young Albanian who takes over an intercity bus. Upon hijacking the bus, he takes the seven passengers ...
Style:
disturbing, tense, serious, psychological, bleak ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
hostage, racism, hijacking, terrorism, immigrant, rivalry, society, danger, one man army, save the day, confined, against the odds ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
albania, greece, europe
Is relevant?
102K
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: France, USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
This action-packed thriller takes place on the soon-to-be-decommissioned USS Missouri. Disgruntled ex-CIA operative Strannix, his assistant Krill and their group of terrorists seize the battleship with nuclear blackmail in mind. They've planned ...
Style:
exciting, rough, suspenseful, serious, realistic ...
Audience:
boys' night, manly, girls' night
Plot:
martial arts, terrorism, u.s. navy, violence, terrorist, ship, terrorist plot, hostage, one man army, sociopath, mercenary, warship ...
Time:
90s, 20th century, year 1991, 80s
Place:
hawaii, pacific ocean, honolulu hawaii, pentagon, san francisco ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: Australia
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
Two fugitives land in hot water when they take a hostage who poses a threat to their well-being.
Style:
suspenseful, serious, psychological, erotic, realistic ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
held captive, perversion, hostage, agoraphobia, chase, psychopath, abuse, on the run, home invasion, murder, survival, lie ...
Place:
australia
Is relevant?
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Desperate to repay his debt to his ex-wife, an ex-con plots a heist at his new employer's country home, unaware that a second criminal has also targeted the property, and rigged it with a series of deadly traps.
Style:
slasher, scary, brutal, suspense, bloody ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
serial killer, torture, home invasion, trap, psychopath, gory, maniac, macabre, massacre, sadistic horror, terror, psycho killer ...
Time:
year 2009, year 2000, 21st century
Place:
usa, detroit
Is relevant?
1.0M
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 132 min.
Story:
NYPD cop, John McClane's plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when minutes after he arrives at her office, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking ...
Style:
intense, christmas special, clever, action packed, suspenseful ...
Audience:
boys' night, manly, date night, teens, chick flick ...
Plot:
hostage, one man army, gunfight, heist, tough guy, christmas, police, terrorism, terrorist, skyscraper, robbery, police officer ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, year 2016, year 1988
Place:
los angeles, california, usa
Is relevant?
313K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
Trapped in their New York brownstone's panic room, a hidden chamber built as a sanctuary in the event of break-ins, newly divorced Meg Altman and her young daughter Sarah play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with three intruders - Burnham, Raoul ...
Style:
suspense, psychological thriller, tense, neo noir, psychological ...
Audience:
kids, teens, boys' night, adult
Plot:
home invasion, trapped, isolation, cat and mouse, hostage, claustrophobia, surveillance, security system, twists and turns, child in peril, locked in a room, confinement indoors ...
Time:
2000s, year 2002, 21st century
Place:
usa, manhattan new york city, new york
Is relevant?
116K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
When a mafia accountant is taken hostage on his beat, a police officer – wracked by guilt from a prior stint as a negotiator – must negotiate the standoff, even as his own family is held captive by the mob.
Style:
perverse, suspenseful, suspense, tense, intense ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens, adult
Plot:
kidnapping, hostage, home invasion, twists and turns, hostage negotiator, organized crime, police investigation, fbi, family in danger, kidnapped, rescue, family problems ...
Time:
year 2005, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
california, iran, los angeles
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
