IMDb 5.4 1983 HD

Hostage

Hostage

1983
Drama Thriller
93 min R Germany
4.1 / 10
5.4 IMDB

Set in 1980's Australia, this is the true story of a woman whose husband eventually reveals to her that he is an active member of the Nazi party.…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Frank Shields / Bob Howard / Ian Kenny / Kim Anning / Sian Hughes
Starring
Kerry Mack / Ralph Schicha / Gabriella Barraket / Judy Nunn / Vic Robins / Doris Goddard / Michael Harrs / Clare Binney

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

harrowing disturbing tense unsettling powerful bleak gripping challenging realistic emotional dark thought-provoking

Reviews

I
Isabelle Moreau
May 22, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

A chilling true tale from 1980s Australia, 'Hostage' explores the devastating personal fallout of a husband's secret life as a Nazi party member. Kerry Mack is the film's anchor, delivering a performance that captures the bewildering terror and…

A
Arthur Pennington
May 22, 2026
2.5 / 5
2.5

While 'Hostage' purports to be based on a true story from 1980s Australia, its impact is somewhat muted by an uneven tone. The central premise – a wife discovering her husband's Nazi ties – is undeniably potent, promising…

G
Genevieve Dubois
May 22, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

This 1983 Australian film, 'Hostage', is a masterclass in sustained tension. Based on a true story, it chronicles a woman's descent into a personal nightmare after her husband reveals his active involvement with the Nazi party. Kerry Mack…

M
Marcus Thorne
May 22, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

'Hostage' from 1983 is a film that trades overt spectacle for a creeping, insidious dread. Set in Australia, it recounts a true story of a wife whose world implodes upon learning of her husband's Nazi party membership. Ralph…

E
Eleanor Vance
May 22, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

Kerry Mack delivers a compelling performance in 'Hostage', a 1983 Australian drama that plunges viewers into a domestic abyss. The film's strength lies in its unflinching portrayal of psychological terror, as a woman discovers her husband's secret Nazi…

FAQs

The shock value of 'Hostage' lies in its premise: a seemingly ordinary marriage shattered by the husband's confession of active membership in the Nazi party. This revelation transforms a domestic setting into a space of profound fear and uncertainty for the wife. The film capitalises on the inherent horror of this betrayal, exploring the psychological impact and the terrifying implications of living with someone whose ideology poses a direct threat to one's safety and worldview.