Is ‘iHostage,' Netflix's New #1 Movie, Worth Watching?
Netflix has a surprising new #1 movie on its top 10 list, one that you no doubt will not have heard of before this, as it was just released as a Netflix original.
The movie is iHostage, a Dutch thriller that is using that 'i" quite literally, as the plot is well, very Apple-centric:
So wait, this really happened? Yes. This took place in 2022, where a citizen was taken hostage with the aggressors demanding ransom in the form of $200 of cryptocurrency. Four other people were stuck in the store for hours, hiding in a supply closet. If you want to get into spoiler territory, though this movie may play out differently, the hostage fled the scene when the perpetrator was being delivered water. The gunman followed but police literally hit him with a car. He died later in the hospital.
As for whether the film is worth your time? The answer appears to be…probably not. The movie, despite being the most-watched film in the country right now, has not gotten more than four film critics to bother to review it on Rotten Tomatoes, where half liked it and half didn't. This joins a truly awful 18% audience score and an also-bad 5.7 out of 10 on IMDB, where anything under a 6 is almost never worth watching. And at 100 minutes of runtime, it's not a short commitment.
iHostage
Here are some of the reviews:
But if you want a positive one, there's that too:
Given these audience scores, I don't think you can make the argument that this is 'a demonstration of filmmaking that resonates with viewers.' You are free to try it for yourself, but it seems like a risk compared to the hundreds of other movies on Netflix that are much, much better.
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All in all, I find both devices to be particularly premium-feeling when it comes to design. While it might be nice if the Apple TV 4K had a USB-C port, I don't think it's totally necessary. A 32GB model at a cheaper price wouldn't hurt, though. Winner: Draw These two devices are neck-and-neck in the performance category. They largely offer similar speeds, though the Apple device does come equipped with two much-higher storage capacities. This means you won't have to worry about memory all that much, especially on the 128GB model. The Google TV Streamer and Apple TV 4K also support the full range of HDR specifications, wrangling Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG all in one package. Of course, the TV you use alongside the device will require compatibility with the spec first, but having that full range on hand is a big plus. They also both have Dolby Atmos support, so if you're looking to get the best possible sound out of these streaming devices, it's definitely in the cards. I'd recommend pairing your TV and streaming device bundle with one of the best soundbars like the Sonos Arc Ultra for the best sound quality. Speaking of content playback, while you will get Apple TV Plus content served up to you, it's not as in-your-face as the Google TV interface, plus navigation is slightly more convenient on the Apple device (in my opinion). Another thing the Apple TV 4K has is a clean, no-ad interface. That's truly hard to come by these days, as it feels like ads are plastered everywhere you look. Lastly, the Google TV Streamer only supports Wi-Fi 5, while the Apple TV 4K has access to Wi-Fi 6. You won't need that faster speeds or security of Wi-Fi 6, but the stability is nice to have if you've ever noticed signal dropout in your home. Winner: Apple TV 4K Google TV is one of our favorite TV interfaces, offering a plethora of free content to enjoy and simplified navigation that's just too hard to beat. But Apple puts in a sincere effort with its redesigned tvOS platform. The big new feature is karaoke support, referred to as Apple Music Sing. It's a fun feature that lets you use your iPhone as a microphone to sing along to millions of songs on Apple Music. Also new is the liquid glass look that definitely looks more polished, but adds little to the general functionality of the interface. The Google TV Streamer, on the other hand, offers both better smart home support via Google Home and boasts several improvements with Gemini, the greatest of which are stronger search functionality and recommendations. Voice controls are also greatly improved on the device, extending to smart home automations, news overviews, and the like. Apple's AI plans are still up in the air at the moment, so it's hard to say if the Apple TV 4K would ever get an upgrade to include Apple Intelligence. Seeing as the third-gen model uses the A15 Bionic chip, it's unlikely the device could even support it, but rumors are circulating that a new set-top box with the A17 Pro processor is in the works. While I do like the clean and less-cluttered (ad-free) look of Apple TV 4K's tvOS, I think you'll get far better mileage out of Google TV and Gemini. Winner: Google TV Streamer You can't go wrong choosing one over the other, as they both offer very similar experiences. But here's how I'd set them apart from one another. I think if you're looking to get the best streaming upgrade for your TV but are looking to spend as little as possible, the Google TV Streamer is the one to buy. You can find the Google TV Streamer for $97 on Amazon right now, which nets you about the same features available on the $199 128GB Apple TV 4K. You will have to contend with Google TV's ads and older Wi-Fi 5 standard, but I find these compromises tolerable given the price disparity. Plus, you get access to some incredible features built on Gemini. That's totally worth the $99 price of entry. If you use Apple products regularly, appreciate that functionality, and want to deal with absolutely no ads tossed your way (on the fastest possible interface to boot), get the Apple TV 4K instead. I personally use Apple's streaming box more often, but I think it'll be better when Apple finds its AI footing. When that might happen is still anyone's guess.
