‘Hostage’: a brilliantly cast women-led political thriller exploring sacrifice and power

Female leaders battling their way through kidnappings, terrorism, and blackmail in the political sphere come to extraordinary light in “Hostage”.

The Netflix political thriller also offers enough twists and turns to keep you glued to your screens from start to finish.

The five-part series, starring Suranne Jones and Julie Delpy in the leading roles, is a refreshing women-led entry in a genre that is still dominated by excellent yet largely male-heavy casts.

Without objectifying these stellar actresses, the production places their professional and political tact, along with their family lives and personal struggles, at the forefront.

And after several unexpected twists, the show poses a powerful question: how much should a female leader have to sacrifice for her country?

“Hostage” introduces viewers to Abigail Dalton (Jones), who, during a romantic walk in the woods with her husband, Dr Alex Anderson (Bashy), is being persuaded to stand for election as the prime minister of the UK.

Abigail expresses her concern that if she secures the most powerful and public seat in politics, it could endanger him and their teenage daughter, Sylvie (Isobel Akuwudike).

But the supportive and soft-spoken Alex insists that she has the potential to bring meaningful change to the country – and that if she is ever faced with “the ultimate decision”, she will know what to do.

Flash forward, Abigail is now a no-nonsense prime minister, a defensive persona she has had to adopt to fight off her many critics. She soon finds herself in the middle of a devastating cancer-drug supply crisis that has placed the nation on edge.

And while fending off political attacks, she is also preparing to meet the steely Vivienne Toussaint (Delpy), the president of France and a renowned master strategist.

But just as the two women are about to come together in a diplomatic display of goodwill, Abigail’s beloved husband, who is in France with his Doctors Without Borders team, is abducted by an unknown group.

This derails her main mission with the French president, which is to negotiate an urgent deal for lifesaving medicine. In return, the French government wants the UK to take in refugees.

As Abigail attempts to save Alex while also managing her country’s health crisis, she is informed that the terrorists will return Alex and his team safely – but only if she resigns as prime minister. Determined not to give in, she refuses, infuriating Sylvie, who believes her mother is failing to prioritise her father’s life.

Meanwhile, Abigail’s father, Max (James Cosmo), is on his deathbed, and Abigail grows increasingly suspicious that there is a mole within her inner circle.

Both Max and Sylvie insist that she should do whatever it takes to bring Alex home, but she remains torn between her responsibilities as a leader and her obligations as a wife and mother.

With no one to trust, a carefully planned rescue mission is suddenly cancelled when Vivienne calls it off after she is also being blackmailed. It emerges that Vivienne has been having an affair with her stepson, and if this information were to leak, it would destroy both her political career and her family.

Forced into a fragile alliance, the two women must now work together to protect their families while holding onto their power. This proves even more challenging for Abigail, who is struggling to keep her head above water in both her personal and political life, all while violent protests erupt across the UK.

Viewers also discover that the French president is married to a sleazy media mogul, making her marriage yet another complication in an already volatile political landscape.

“Hostage”, with its fast-paced and often frantic energy, had me gasping for air as I escaped into the story. I found it fascinating to see a dramatised glimpse of what it could look like for a woman in such a powerful position – especially how every decision she makes carries consequences that follow her on all fronts.

The lead actors excel and deliver gripping, emotionally layered performances. Supporting cast members, including Corey Mylchreest as President Toussaint’s stepson and Lucian Msamati as one of Dalton’s senior staffers, also shine and add depth to the already compelling narrative.

The series adds genuine value to the political thriller genre and offers a unique and nuanced take on diplomatic relations, international negotiations and the personal sacrifices demanded of public figures.

There are no gratuitous romantic scenes or over-the-top action sequences- just a genuinely engaging story driven by character, tension and political intrigue.

* I give “Hostage” four out of five stars.