Hostage

2002 0h 10m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 96

ActionCrimeThrillerAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The Driver is hired by the FBI to help defuse a hostage situation. A disgruntled employee has kidnapped a CEO and has hidden her, demanding $5,088,042. The Driver delivers the money, writing the sum on his hand as instructed by the hostage taker. After he is told that he holds the life of a person in his hand, he is ordered to burn the money. As he complies, the federal agents break in and attempt to subdue the man, who shoots himself in the head before he reveals where the woman is hidden. The Driver then tries to find the hostage before she drowns in the trunk of a sinking car. As a twist, the kidnapped woman is revealed to be the hostage taker's lover. She coldly taunts the dying man in the hospital.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Clive Owen
The Driver
Maury Chaykin
The Kidnapper
Kathryn Morris
Linda Delacroix (The Hostage)
Darius McCrary
FBI Commander
Gerry Becker
Doctor
James MacDonald
SWAT Team Commander
Lyon Reese
FBI Technician
Gina Briganti
Town Member

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Woo
Writers: David Carter, Greg Hahn, Vincent Ngo
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 10-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 24 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Part of the "The Hire" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Woo, shot by Jeffrey L. Kimball. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Steve Jablonsky. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jeff Gullo shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Clive Owen and Maury Chaykin and Kathryn Morris carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Woo directs. Jeffrey L. Kimball behind the camera. Steve Jablonsky scores. Jeff Gullo cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 10-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 24 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Part of the "The Hire" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by John Woo, shot by Jeffrey L. Kimball. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Steve Jablonsky. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Jeff Gullo shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Clive Owen and Maury Chaykin and Kathryn Morris carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0338111 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 96 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jeffrey L. Kimball
Original score: Steve Jablonsky
Editing: Jeff Gullo
Production design: Deborah Evans
Costume design: Kim Bowen
Makeup / hair: Gina Monaci
Runtime: 10 min · 0h 10m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Hostage (2002)

Part of

The Hire

"The Hire" is an eight part BMW short film series created between 2001 and 2002. A form of branded content, all eight films are directed by popular filmmakers from across the globe, star Clive Owen as the "Driver", and highlight the performance aspects of various BMW automobiles.