Held for Ransom

Should you be willing to overlook certain intrinsic difficulties, "Held for Ransom" is a surprisingly thoughtful hostage drama given the blunt meatheadedness of its title.

This is another film about a white European mixed up in a Middle Eastern war they barely seem to understand, but on its own terms it's a story well told.

A polished, moving, muscular thriller that never exploits or simplistically reduces its real-life horrors for entertainment value.

The methodical pace almost seems to go against a tense hostage drama. It works since the film does not rely on melodrama while still delivering the full impact of the story.

Held for Ransom is brutally straightforward, with no editorializing about the surrounding political complexities. It's hardly a pleasant watch, yet one whose nearly 2.5 hours pass quickly.

...an exhaustive, harrowing but very worthwhile film...

As the film builds tension, the resilience of Daniel and his family maintains a glimmer of hope amid the desperation and despair.

Held for Ransom is ... effective as a kind of real-world thriller. It's also more than that.

A sober, unglamorous and moving account of one man's ordeal as he was held by the disparate Syrian factions that became known as Daesh or ISIS.

Nuanced performances from Amir El-Masry (as an ISIS jailer) and Toby Kebbell (as US journalist James Foley) help flesh out this considered account of a desperate situation.