The wildly popular “ Die Hard” (1988) is proof that you don’t necessarily need to think too hard to make a great hostage movie. This creepy little number is vastly under-exposed. The eerie mood prevails throughout despite a somewhat deliberate pace, and Stanley wows in her Oscar-nominated portrayal of the addled mystic. (You probably have neighbors or friends like this.) Richard Attenborough and Kim Stanley play the troubled couple who kidnap and ransom a young girl, then rely on the wife’s “psychic abilities” to cover their tracks. Directed by the legendary William Wyler, this tense ride is a showcase for two of the biggest and most talented stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age.ġ964’s “ Seance on a Wet Afternoon” is a creepy psychological thriller about a woman’s descent into madness, and her meek, adoring husband’s refusal to acknowledge it. Fredric March, playing the family’s patriarch, holds his own as a proud man who must nevertheless play along to prevent harm to his family. Bogie is at his best as the growling malevolent presence, keeping his team focused (despite the distraction of Ellie – played by the lovely Martha Scott – a suburban wife every man would be happy to return home to) in the face of increased risk and pressure. Three escaped convicts, led by a desperate Glenn Griffin (Humphrey Bogart), hold a suburban family hostage. “ The Desperate Hours” (1955) is another story based on actual events. Here are two oldies-but-greaties, and one excellent ‘80s action flick: It also inspired us to comb our database for some other superb hostage/kidnapping themed films. “Phillips” is a hit with critics, audiences, and the BMBF team (it reached our 2013 “best of” list). Will the floating cavalry arrive in time to save his neck? Phillips is their only leverage, so his life hangs by a tether. They want money, of course, but we can tell that Muse and his motley band are in way over their heads. Team Scallywag is led by the young and ambitious Muse (newcomer Barkhad Abdi). It boggles the mind.īack to “Phillips”: the stolid Captain Phillips (Hanks), his cargo ship, and his crew are taken hostage by a group of desperate Somali pirates. It’s not the first time, nor the last, that a much deserving actor will get the shaft due to Academy politics, ageism, or sheer “Let’s give ‘Crash’ Best Picture”-idiocy. In the ever-mysterious, vaguely arcane and often inane ways of the Oscars and its voters, Tom Hanks was passed over. And it’s a real humdinger, fully meriting its 6 Oscar nods, including one for Best Picture.ĭespite handing out those six Oscar noms, the Academy still managed to sit on their keys, metaphorically. You’ve got the innocent victim, the evil kidnapper, and (most often) the rescuer.īased on a real-life incident, “Captain Phillips,” starring Tom Hanks and directed by Paul Greengrass, is one such film. It hardly needs to be said, but we love driving home the obvious: hostage movies are natural thrillers.
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