Yes. Netflix’s iHostage is inspired by the February 2022 hostage crisis at an Apple Store in Amsterdam. It is a dramatized thriller, not a documentary: the filmmakers say they changed character names and dialogue and compressed the timeline.
What happened at the Amsterdam Apple Store?
On February 22, 2022, an armed man entered the Apple Store at Leidseplein in Amsterdam and took a Bulgarian customer hostage. TIME reported in 2025 that the hostage was held at gunpoint for nearly five hours while other people were trapped inside and police managed the standoff.
According to TIME, the assailant demanded €200 million in cryptocurrency and a safe exit. About 70 people were evacuated from the building. The crisis ended after the hostage escaped; police then struck the assailant with a vehicle, and he later died.
TIME also reported that police arrived within ten minutes and that at least four shots were fired. Those figures are details in TIME’s reporting, not independently established here as official police statistics.
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How closely does iHostage follow the real events?
The broad premise—the Apple Store setting, hostage crisis, ransom demand and police response—comes from the real incident. Netflix says the film tells the story through the perspectives of the perpetrator, hostages and emergency services.
Director Bobby Boermans told TIME that “most of the story beats” are based on events that actually happened, but the filmmakers changed dialogue and gave the characters fictional names so they could not be traced to the people involved. Boermans also said the film focuses on the night of the hostage situation and condenses time. That means its scenes and exchanges should not be treated as a verbatim record of the crisis.
How was the film researched?
Netflix says writer Simon de Waal spoke directly with police officers involved in the response. Netflix’s Tudum account says he wanted to check how events unfolded and how people spoke. This describes the filmmakers’ research process; it does not make the finished film a documentary or independently verify every scene.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What kind of film is iHostage?
Netflix lists iHostage as a 2025 Dutch thriller, directed by Bobby Boermans and written by Simon de Waal, with Horizon Film as the production company. Netflix announced a global premiere on April 18, 2025. Its listing gives a runtime of 1 hour 42 minutes and a TV-MA rating. Netflix lists the title, but availability can vary by country.
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Sources
- Netflix Tudum: film announcement and production details
- Netflix Tudum: how the film relates to the true story
- Netflix title listing
- TIME: reporting on the real hostage crisis and the filmmakers’ account
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