Netflix‘s Hostage is one of the streaming service’s latest buzzy additions.

Created by Matt Charman, the British political thriller, which debuted on the streaming service on Thursday (Aug. 21), is already occupying the No. 2 spot on Netflix’s Top 10 Shows in the U.S. Today. We might be able to expect it in the week’s Netflix Top 10 Shows in the U.S. overview list, which is updated every Tuesday.

The series follows Abigail Dalton (Suranne Jones), who has recently been elected as the British Prime Minister, and whose husband, Dr. Alex Anderson (Ashley Thomas), is kidnapped while on a trip in French Guians. Meanwhile Vivienne Toussaint ( Julie Delpy), who is visiting, gets blackmailed.

According to Netflix’s synopsis, the two are “forced into a fierce rivalry where their political futures, and lives, might hang in the balance,” though the question remains if they can “they work together to uncover the plot that threatens them both.”

DECIDER contributor Joel Keller encouraged prospective viewers to STREAM IT in his Hostage review, writing that the limited series is “a solid political thriller made better by the performances of Jones and Delpy, especially when they’re on screen together.”

Who is in the cast of Hostage (2025)?

Alongside Jones, Thomas, and Delpy, the series also stars Corey Mylchreest as Matheo Lewis, Lucian Msamati as Kofi Adomako, Isobel Akuwudike as Sylvie Anderson , Martin McCann as John Shagan, Jehnny Beth as Adrienne Pelletier, and James Cosmo as Max Dalton.

Is Hostage based on a true story?

No, the series is not explicitly based on a true story, and the characters and storyline is fictional, per FandomWire.

How many episodes of Hostage on Netflix are there?

The limited series consists of five episodes, all of which are streaming on Netflix. You can also watch the trailer above.