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Audiences were left captivated by the high-stakes tension and dramatic retelling in the 2024 Netflix mini-series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, directed by Anubhav Sinha, which offers a gripping portrayal of the real-life hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 that took place in 1999.
With a stellar ensemble cast and an intense narrative focused on the five-day standoff between Indian officials and the Taliban, the series has resonated with viewers who appreciate the intricate dynamics of hostage crises.
The blend of suspense, emotional trauma, and political maneuvering brings to light the complexities of real-world hostage situations, making it a must-watch for fans of crime thrillers.
If you’re looking for more stories that explore the complexities of hostage situations, several documentaries provide equally compelling insights. These films and series dig deep into some of the most harrowing and dramatic hostage incidents in modern history, capturing both the personal toll on the captives and the tense negotiations behind the scenes.
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.
5 hostage documentaries to watch if you liked IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack
- Captive (2016)
- Desert One (2020)
- The Hostage Takers (2023)
- Stolen Daughters: Kidnapped by Boko Haram (2018)
- City of Ghosts (2017)
1) Captive (2016)
Captive is a docu-series on Netflix that focuses on the issue of hostage crisis and negotiations from around the world. This American series includes accounts of understood perspectives about old bid abduction cases as well as those that aren’t known very well and involve hostages or seizures of prison.
Focusing on the events centered on the people captured and their families, Captive also reveals the negotiation's progression. If you liked the tension and high stakes of IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, this docu-series will not disappoint.
Where to watch: Netflix
2) Desert One (2019)
Directed by Barbara Kopple, Desert One centers on an unsuccessful 1980 American military mission to liberate the 52 embassy staff held as hostages during the Iran hostage crisis. Operation Eagle Claw provides scarce information, but low-budget filmmaking benefits from interviews with eyewitnesses of the events and hostages instead, just like in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.
It’s not purely historical either, as it offers a first-hand retelling of one of the most publicized hostage crises in the U.S., using old material and new interviews to fan the emotions captured in the mission.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Prime Video
3) Hostage Takers (2023)
This documentary is a movie about the IS member group The Beatles and the prison guards of numerous Western hostages which also include American war correspondent James Foley. After the brutal, live-streamed beheading of James Foley, war journalist and friend Sean Langan set out to find answers.
Langan tracked down two ISIS members, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, who Kurdish forces had captured after ISIS lost control of Raqqa.
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The film gives an in-depth analysis of the psychology of perpetrators creating a lot of suspense for the audience just as in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.
Where to watch: MUBI
4) Stolen Daughters: Kidnapped by Boko Haram (2018)
While not a U.S. hostage situation, Stolen Daughters addresses the mass kidnapping of Nigerian schoolgirls by the extremist group Boko Haram and what the world did about it, policies, and actions. This documentary contains the participation of a few interviewees, who are survivors, and U.S. organizations trying to help return the hostages.
The riveting accounts of brave endeavors and escapes can be juxtaposed with the intricate strategies showcased in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack with its focus on flashbacks of world terrorism.
Where to watch: HBO Max
5) City of Ghosts (2017)
City of Ghosts shows in detail the struggle against ISIS from the point of view of the civilians imprisoned in Syria and Iraq. It follows citizen reporters of the ‘Raqqa is being slaughtered silently’ who risk their lives and those of their families to film the ISIS hostage videos and torture of the hostages.
While City of Ghosts also manages to touch on this wider issue of conflict, it however manages to vividly show what it is like being held hostage and how Western hostages are often snatched just like in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.
Where to watch: Prime Video
These documentaries weave a good balance of politics, and humanity, out of hostage situations which is why they make great supplements for the IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.
