Suranne Jones Shines in Netflix Thriller Hostage – But the Story Trips Over Itself
Netflix’s new five-part thriller Hostage arrives with a bang, promising political intrigue, personal tragedy, and international power plays.
But while Suranne Jones gives her all as Britain’s first fictional female prime minister, the series itself struggles under the weight of too many crises crammed into one storyline.
The British Prime Minister (Suranne Jones) is forced to choose between her country and her family when her husband is taken hostage.
HOSTAGE, a new action-packed political thriller, comes to Netflix 21 August. pic.twitter.com/6h3i0BqmLQ
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) July 14, 2025
From the outset, we’re told via a quiet moment with her husband that Abigail Dalton entered politics to “really help people.” It sounds like the makings of sharp political satire.
But no – Hostage takes itself seriously. Within minutes, Dalton is thrust into chaos when her husband, a doctor working with Médecins Sans Frontières, is kidnapped in French Guiana.
Jones, famed for her expressive performances, throws herself into the role. Her Abigail Dalton is wide-eyed, weary, and constantly balancing on the brink.
Across the Channel, she faces Julie Delpy’s Vivienne Toussaint, France’s icy prime minister, whose agenda is never quite what it seems. Their exchanges are the show’s strongest moments – tense, slick and sparking with rivalry.
But here’s the rub. Scriptwriter Matt Charman doesn’t know when to stop. The NHS crisis. Military underfunding. The rise of the far-right. And yes, the obligatory French sex scandal.
Each is jammed into the plot, leaving little breathing room. Instead of a sharp political thriller, Hostage begins to feel like a never-ending news cycle.
Some plot points stretch belief beyond breaking. Chief among them: Britain’s NHS apparently hinges on French drug supplies, giving Toussaint leverage over Dalton.
The idea doesn’t hold up. Nor does the shaky portrayal of Westminster politics, which feels designed more for an international audience than anyone familiar with UK democracy.
Dalton, of course, becomes the real hostage. She’s trapped in impossible dilemmas, every decision a risk to her career and her conscience. Jones is magnetic here, capturing a woman battered yet unbowed. She may be surrounded by chaos, but she owns the screen.
There are bright sparks elsewhere, too. Martin McCann, unrecognisable from his role in Blue Lights, delivers a chilling turn as the bitter soldier hell-bent on taking Dalton down. His menace cuts through the noise.
And yet – the series tries to do too much. Each episode piles on new threads until the tension starts to unravel. By the end, it feels like five separate dramas fighting for dominance.
Still, for those willing to suspend disbelief, Hostage offers a heady dose of adrenaline and big performances. Suranne Jones, as ever, proves why she remains one of Britain’s finest screen talents.
But sometimes less really is more. And Hostage could have done with a little less.
