If You Loved ‘Hostage’, Watch These 10 Similar Shows on Netflix

High stakes standoffs, tight ticking clocks, and tense negotiations make ‘Hostage’ hard to pause. If you are in the mood for more siege scenarios, undercover operations, and pressure cooker investigations, there are plenty of series on Netflix that tap the same adrenaline vein without losing the human stories at the center.

This list pulls together fiction and documentary shows that revolve around kidnappings, hostage crises, tactical responses, and the painstaking work of teams who step into danger to bring people home. You will find heists that turn into bargaining games, political crises that spiral in real time, and true cases that explain how professionals plan and execute rescues.

‘Money Heist’ (2017–2021)

This Spanish phenomenon follows a criminal mastermind known as the Professor who recruits specialists to infiltrate national mints and banks while holding staff and visitors inside. The story moves between the control room on the outside and the improvised order on the inside, with negotiators, police commanders, and media pressure shaping each step.

Across its parts, the show tracks the protocols that form around a prolonged siege, including hostage management, bargaining chips, and public opinion strategies. It also digs into the preparation behind large scale operations and the contingency plans used when negotiations stall and force becomes likely.

‘The Night Agent’ (2023)

This thriller centers on a low level FBI agent who answers a crisis phone in the basement of the White House and gets pulled into a conspiracy that puts targets in immediate danger. The premise builds investigations that unfold hour by hour, with protective details and emergency response teams racing to prevent abductions and close range attacks.

The series shows how interagency coordination works during domestic threats, from triage of tips to setting safe houses and organizing rapid extractions. It also maps the steps investigators take to confirm identities, trace communications, and keep witnesses secure while suspects try to flip hostages into leverage.

‘Bodyguard’ (2018)

Set inside the world of close protection, ‘Bodyguard’ follows a war veteran assigned to guard a high ranking government minister. The work puts him in situations where a single decision at a doorway or a transport route can determine whether a standoff begins or ends, and how a negotiation might be approached.

The show outlines how protection teams plan movements, scan for choke points, and react when a domestic threat turns into a barricade or explosive risk. It also shows incident command structures, the role of crisis negotiators, and the procedures for clearing buildings while safeguarding civilians who are caught in the middle.

‘Kaleidoscope’ (2023)

‘Kaleidoscope’ builds a large scale heist that viewers can watch in different episode orders, with a vault break that exposes cracks between thieves, security teams, and people trapped inside. The crime plan relies on timed diversions and false identities, which creates multiple hostage like situations as guards and staff become bargaining pieces.

The series details social engineering tactics, access control weaknesses, and the security responses that activate when alarms trip. It also demonstrates how negotiators try to separate volatile actors from hostages, how command posts weigh assault windows, and how media and market impacts influence decisions during a financial target siege.

‘Fauda’ (2015)

This Israeli action drama follows an undercover counterterrorism unit working in and around the West Bank, where kidnappings and rescue missions are central to its operations. The team cycles between surveillance, infiltration, and extraction, with many episodes hinging on the safe recovery of captives under tight time pressure.

The show presents tradecraft such as cover building, asset handling, and real time intelligence fusion during raids. It also covers how hostage negotiations intersect with politics, how families and communities are briefed during a crisis, and how deconfliction with other units is managed to avoid friendly fire in dense urban areas.

‘Designated Survivor’ (2016–2019)

After an attack shatters the federal leadership, ‘Designated Survivor’ tracks a sudden presidency that must respond to domestic and international crises that often involve abductions, barricades, and threats to public venues. The narrative maps the steps from situation room briefings to tactical deployments when civilians are placed at risk.

The series explains legal authorities for federal agencies during emergencies, outlines decision trees for negotiation versus force, and shows the formation of joint task forces. It also illustrates how intelligence gaps are closed under time pressure and how communication plans are crafted to keep the public informed without endangering hostages.

‘Lupin’ (2021)

‘Lupin’ follows a gentleman thief who uses disguises, misdirection, and planned set pieces that frequently trap adversaries in confined locations. The operations often create leverage situations where access badges, heirs, and private security become pieces on the board, drawing in police and corporate risk teams.

The show lays out how social engineering and physical security interact, including lock systems, museum protocols, and armored transport routines. It also demonstrates how surveillance footage, crowd control, and digital forensics influence the choices available to both investigators and criminals when hostages or bystanders could be harmed by a wrong move.

‘Who Is Erin Carter?’ (2023)

This limited series follows a teacher in Spain whose hidden past surfaces after a violent supermarket incident, pulling her family into a sequence of reprisals and abductions. The story follows improvised defenses inside homes and public spaces, where split second decisions determine who becomes a bargaining chip.

The series highlights neighborhood level investigation, from tracing burner phones to mapping gang hierarchies and safe houses. It also shows how civilians are advised to handle ransom demands, how law enforcement prioritizes child safety in hostage scenarios, and how custody and border procedures become factors when relocation is needed.

‘Clickbait’ (2021)

‘Clickbait’ opens with a kidnapping video that goes viral, setting off a multi angle investigation that follows relatives, detectives, and journalists. Each episode focuses on a different perspective, which helps explain how information spreads, how false leads form, and how hostage takers exploit public attention.

The show walks through digital evidence gathering such as tracing accounts, analyzing metadata, and correlating device locations. It also covers victim support processes, coordination with tech platforms, and the chain of custody rules that protect investigations when ransom communications are posted online.

‘Captive’ (2016)

This documentary series examines real hostage situations from around the world, including prison sieges and international kidnappings. Each episode breaks down the timeline of a crisis, the demands made, and the strategies used by negotiators and tactical teams, with interviews from survivors and responders.

The series explains negotiation frameworks, the role of proof of life, and the use of third party intermediaries. It also describes specialized units, equipment, and breach techniques, along with the policies organizations follow when deciding whether to pay ransoms or authorize rescue operations.

‘Narcos: Mexico’ (2018–2021)

Set amid the rise of cartels, ‘Narcos: Mexico’ depicts abductions that are used to intimidate rivals and pressure authorities, which pulls in investigative teams across borders. The story shows how kidnappings are planned, where victims are held, and which signals indicate that a case may turn into a high profile standoff.

The series details investigative methods such as wire intercepts, undercover buys, and asset flips, along with liaison work between agencies. It also covers how families are guided through contact protocols, how ransom deliveries are monitored, and how rescue operations are coordinated when captives are moved between locations.

Share the shows you would add for fans of ‘Hostage’ in the comments.