iHostage Movie Cast And Characters Guide

Netflix’s crime drama, iHostage, is a cinematic adaptation of the Amsterdam Apple Store hostage incident. Given the fact that Dutch director Bobby Boermans witnessed the events unfold in real time back in 2022, it is no wonder that the movie never lacked authenticity in its reenactment of the crisis. To add on to the dramatic elements, the movie focused on several characters—all of whom are shown to be connected with the central crisis in one way or another, thereby imbuing the necessary human touch that allows viewers the perspective to assess the crisis. However, the characterization isn’t developed as much as it should have been to make viewers feel sympathetic to the plight of either the victims/hostages or the perpetrator in question—which is a missed opportunity, to say the least. 

Ammar Ajar, played by Soufiane Moussouli

Dutch actor Soufiane Moussouli began his acting career with theater performances, and some of his earlier performances include starring roles in the comedy flick Popoz and the thriller The Way To Paradise. In iHostage, Soufiane portrayed the character of Ammar Ajar, based on the real-life 27-year-old perpetrator of the hostage incident, Abdel Rahman Akkad. While Abdel had a history of past misdemeanors, as he was reported to the police on allegations of harassment by his girlfriend and also came under scrutiny for illegally possessing a gun, the past of the movie counterpart of the character remains shrouded in mystery. Ammar is shown to have a troubled, depressed mental condition, which, coupled with the miseries of a common man struggling to find a footing in life, might have caused him to act erratically and put the lives of numerous people in danger. Similar to the real-life incident, the perpetrator’s true motives behind the devious plan are never clarified, but the movie throws a couple of hints—prime among which appears to be financial necessities, which prompted Ammar to take such a drastic step. Soufiane Moussouli was good enough as a volatile, almost neurotic hostage-taker, who became a victim of his own machinations at the end.

Ilian Admir Petrov Played By Admir Sehovic

Dutch actor Admir Sehovic has previously acted in the movie Pretty Village, Pretty Flame and the series Kotlina. In iHostage, he portrayed the character of Ilian Admir Petrov, an average Bulgarian guy who becomes Ammar’s hostage. His character is based on the real-life hostage of the fateful incident, whose identity is left unrevealed for obvious reasons. Ilian’s character, a blue-collar job holder, allows viewers to draw a connection with the perpetrator as both of them belong to the same economic class, and at the same time, his horrid, traumatic experience as the victim of the incident provokes a sympathetic outlook. 

Lynn, played by Loes Haverkort

Dutch actor/singer Loes Haverkort has been active for the last couple of decades and is a prolific name on the nation’s stage performance scene. Some of his notable roles include starring in movies like Redbad and Rendez-Vous and in series such as Van der Valk and Styx, to name a few. Loes played the role of Lynn, the negotiator employed by Amsterdam Police Commander Kees to handle the hostage situation. Lynn arguably had the toughest job in the whole scenario, and she did a fantastic job, as she not only earned Ammar’s trust by showing a genuine, caring side of her to him but also managed to distract him for long enough for the DSI team to rescue the upper-floor hostages. Lynn’s contribution could have salvaged the entire situation had not the sniper laser alarmed Ammar all of a sudden and broken the bond of trust Lynn had managed to form during the brief span of time she spoke with Ammar. It would have been better if viewers could learn a bit more about Lynn’s background, or worldview for that matter, which helped her to shoulder such monumental responsibilities in the first place. 

Mingus Portrayed by Emmanuel Ohene Boafo

An actor of Dutch-Ghanaian ancestry, Emmanuel Ohene Boafo is an acclaimed performer whose notable works include the TV drama Exit, the monologue Seawall, and the movie White Berry. His portrayal of Mingus in the movie is inspired by real-life Apple Store employee/hostage Alex Manuputty. It was Alex’s bravery that saved the lives of three other customers whom he took to the safety of the keycard-locked room, although whether his assistance allowed the rescue of upper-floor hostages as well, as was shown in Mingus’ case, remains unknown. Needless to say, the codeword shared with Mingus by the authorities as the signal for opening the door was ‘Duck,’ instead of the ludicrous-sounding ‘iHostage’ as used in the movie. In real life, Alex Manuputty’s predicament as a survivor is disheartening; he became affected by a stutter and suffered from PTSD, and after leaving his job, he co-wrote a memoir of the incident, which acted as research material for the movie. 

Miscellaneous Characters 

Aside from the lead players, the supporting cast of iHostage was decent enough, playing their part according to the demands of the narrative. Actor Marcel Hensema left a mark with his performance as Police Commander Kees, Louis Talpe performed well as DSI team member Winston, and as Abe, the leader of the special unit team, Matteo van der Grijn was great. Robin Boissevain played the role of Lucas, one of the hostages Mingus rescued, and as the mother-daughter hostage duo Soof and Bente, Fockeline Ouwerkerk and Rosemary van der Hoek acted pretty well. 

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