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Parents' Guide to

Hostage

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Very violent hostage drama.

Movie R 2005 113 minutes
Hostage Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 8 parent reviews

neil W.
neil W. Parent of 11 and 14-year-old
April 23, 2023
age 16+

Some graphic violence and gore and a lot of swearing 16+

16+ Sex is mild, the only known instance is where a man ties a woman's limbs to a bed and has a relationship with her. Violence is strong and graphic as we see the style this movie does. The blood is dark and real and children die a house is burned a person burns a lot of people a lot of people are shot including a child and a police officer. A man chasing minors in a vents and writing blood on glass. A stab in the cheek and a dead dog and a cut open hand. torched SWAT men, Multiple uses of the f - word including shit, balls, bastard, bitch, fucking, fuckaphobic, and many other clauses. Drugs is moderate because a man smokes and there are a lot of instances and a shootout at the end resulting in 4 people dead. Yes this is Rated R for strong graphic bloody violence and language.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
IssabellaKimberly483
IssabellaKimberly483 Parent of 11 and 17-year-old
August 21, 2022
age 18+

Violent action movie not for kids

Saw it on Showtime and it has blood. Blood is dark and gross. Lots of profanity.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Three combustible forces come together in one fortress of a mansion in this bloodbath of a hostage drama. First is Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis), a former big-time hostage negotiator who was shattered by a tragic failure and gave it up to become a small-town police chief. Second is three strung-out teens who decide to steal an SUV but end up in the house when things get out of control, taking the owner and his two children hostage. Third is a group of ruthless professional bad guys who have no interest in the boys or the hostages but will do whatever it takes to retrieve a DVD with some very important files that is hidden inside the house, its location only known to a man who is unconscious.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8 ):
Kids say (9 ):

HOSTAGE has a nice set-up. The contrast between the impulsive, hot-headed amateurs and the implacable, cold-blooded professionals as they interact with the hostages and the increasingly compromised Talley take this story above the usual guns and explosions multiplex fodder.

The film also has some good performances, especially Ben Foster as the most volatile of the boys. It has a sensational opening credit sequence. But the dialogue is stock UPN-drama and a promising premise disintegrates quickly into standard guns and explosions fare.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Talley responded the way he did to the tragic outcome of the first hostage situation in the film. How can a negotiator gain the confidence of someone who may be disturbed or irrational?

Movie Details

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