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The setting is a temple of global commerce, an Apple store in Amsterdam, its clean lines and glass walls suggesting a world of seamless connectivity. Into this space walks Ilian, a Bulgarian visitor on a simple mission to replace his lost AirPods. His mundane errand becomes the inciting incident for iHostage, a film that grounds its terror in the terrifyingly plausible.

A gunman named Ammar enters, fires shots that shatter the minimalist calm, and yanks Ilian into the center of an international crisis. With the Bulgarian as his human shield, Ammar issues his demands: a fortune in cryptocurrency and safe passage.

Outside, police forces scramble to contain the situation. Inside, other customers and employees are scattered, some hiding upstairs, others crammed into a supply closet, all nodes in a network of fear. The film immediately establishes a scenario rooted not in fantasy, but in the specific anxieties of our highly technological and public world.

Netflix’s iHostage is a tense Dutch thriller that dramatizes the real-life 2022 hostage situation at an Apple Store in Amsterdam. Directed by Bobby Boermans and written by Simon de Waal, the film offers a mosaic-style narrative, presenting the crisis through multiple perspectives, including the perpetrator, hostages, and emergency responders. Premiered globally on April 18, 2025, iHostage delves into the psychological and emotional facets of a city held in suspense. This article provides a comprehensive details about Netflix’s iHostage cast and characters.

Plot Overview

Inspired by the actual events of February 2022, iHostage centers on Ilian, a Bulgarian man who becomes an unwitting hostage when a gunman named Ammar seizes control of an Apple Store in Amsterdam’s Leidseplein district. As the situation unfolds, the film explores the intricate dynamics between the captor, the hostages, and the police negotiators striving to resolve the standoff peacefully. The narrative sheds light on the motivations, fears,...

The Wonder Weeksis a film directed by Appie Boudellah and Aram van de Rest. It stars Sallie Harmsen, Soy Kroon and Yolanthe Cabau. It is based on a novel written by Frank Plooij and Hetty van de Rijt.

The Wonder Weeks

But if, on the other hand, you are family people who believe in a better world and that your children could live peacefully with AI and sustainability… The Wonder Weeks offers you a gentle proposal and a chance to encounter the challenges of raising a baby.

Movie review

On a technical level, a correct film, with good performances of rather light comedy, the kind that won’t win you a Cesar or an Oscar.

It has a simple, natural script and is treated as a light comedy (also) at script and direction level, with a slow pace that marks well the times of the sequences and these, in the general tone,...

Whether you know a lot about bicycle racing or very little, The Racer, written and directed by Kieron J. Walsh, offers a lot to ponder about the sport.

It offers a lot about the mindset of sporting in general, especially when it comes to team sports.

Team sports, whether cycling, car racing, or gymnastics, among a host of others, always have at least one standout, and it's not unique for the other team members to stand back and allow that athlete's star to shine at the behest of their coach and for the best of the team.

The Racer shines a light on Dominique Chabol, a domestique for his team in the 1998 Tour de France.

The race that year was special because the first three legs were completed in Ireland, and it's the first time that Epo doping reared its ugly head.

There was a solid history of doping in cycling,...

Today marks the release of the intense new cycling film The Racer, who shows the blood, sweat and tears that go into this endurance sport, through the eyes of a team cyclist – set against the backdrop of the notorious 1998 Tour de France. To mark the film’s release we had the pleasure of speaking to both the Belgian lead actor Louis Talpe, alongside the film’s Irish writer/director Kieron J. Walsh, as the pair look back fondly on a project that tested them in ways they didn’t anticipate – but in a clearly rewarding way, with an impressive collaboration now out there for audiences to indulge in – and we fully recommend that you do.

Watch the full interview with Louis Talpe and Kieron J. Walsh here:

Synopsis

A seasoned support rider experiences the most dramatic three days of his life — and potentially the end of his career — at the...

This fictional cycling and doping drama focuses on a support rider – an unsung hero who sacrifices his own dreams of winning the yellow jersey

In 1998, a doping scandal rocked the Tour de France when a team masseur was caught with a pharmacy of banned substances in the boot of his car before the first stage in Ireland. The incident is the inspiration for this solid, workmanlike Irish drama with a strong performance by Louis Talpe as Dom Chabol, a fictional Belgian cyclist looking down the barrel of retirement at 38; he just can’t imagine life beyond cycling. And like most of the peloton, he’s doping; everybody’s doing it.

Talpe looks every bit the pro cyclist, lean and light, not a pinch of fat on him. And he plays Chabol with a charisma-free dullness that’s convincing for a sportsman with tunnel vision, blocking out everything non bike-related. The...

Stars: Louis Talpe, Iain Glen, Matteo Simoni, Tara Lee, Karel Roden, Timo Wagner | Written by Kieron J.Walsh, Ciaran Cassidy | Directed by Kieron J.Walsh

It’s been a funny old few years for the Tour De France, with some shocking truths being revealed about racers having taken illegal enhancements. At first it seemed like there was only one or two of the top level guys but then documentary after documentary started bringing the whole era of doping to the forefront and it was revealed that… Well everybody was into it, top to bottom! This is something that the sport is going to have to endure and dare I say it “own it”. It’s done now let’s clean house and move on.

Of course this does pose a little bit of a quandary. How can you “just move on” when there are so many interesting stories that can be told here.

In most sports films it's all about winning. For Dom (Louis Talpe) that has never been the point. He has spent his whole career serving as a domestique - a support rider. It's his job to cycle just ahead of flashy younger teammate Lupo (Matteo Simoni) to catch the wind for him and open up space. Now in his late thirties, he's nearing the end of his viable career and finding the role increasingly taxing. As he prepares for the Tour de France, he also harbours a secret desire to wear the yellow jersey just once.

This is the late Nineties, and anyone who knows cycling or who remembers the news from that era will be alert to the fact that a big doping scandal is about to break. The film wisely steers away from that well-trodden territory but explores what preceded it: the culture of doping itself, not as a.

Sales also made to Latin America, France, Australia-New Zealand.

Vertigo Releasing has acquired UK and Ireland distribution rights from Independent to Kieron J. Walsh’s cycling drama The Racer.

It is scheduled for a theatrical and streaming release in the UK on December 18; Vertigo is partnering with Wildcard Distribution on the Irish release, for which a date is not yet set. Cinemas are presently closed in Ireland.

Independent has also closed deals for Australia and New Zealand (Madman Entertainment); German-speaking territories (Ascot Elite); Latin America and Africa (Turner International); Portugal (Nos Lusomundo); Scandinavia (Selmer Media); France (Epicentre and Mondex et...

"Why risk your life like that?" Gravitas has unveiled an official US trailer for indie cycling drama titled The Racer, made by filmmaker Kieron J. Walsh, and supported by Screen Ireland and Blinder Films. It was supposed to be premiere at this year's SXSW Film Festival, now it'll be on VOD this month. The film tells the true story of a professional cyclist named Dom Chabol, a Belgian support rider. After being dropped from the team on his last race in 1998, he is reinstated following a doping error. He's always been one of the best support riders ("domestiques") on the Tour de France, but had dreams to win it himself. The film stars Louis Talpe as Dom, along with Matteo Simoni, Tara Lee, Iain Glen, and Karel Roden. We featured a sales trailer for this earlier in the summer already. It looks like a solid film, if not a bit depressing,...

"Why risk your life like that?" Screen has revealed the first promo trailer for an indie cycling drama titled The Racer, made by filmmaker Kieron J. Walsh, and supported by Screen Ireland and Blinder Films. This trailer is to help promote the film as it is being sold at the Cannes Market coming up this month, although it has a Us distributor already, but no release date set yet. The film tells the true story of a professional cyclist named Dom Chabol, a Belgian support rider. After being dropped from the team on his last race in 1998, he is reinstated following a doping error. He's always been one of the best support riders ("domestiques") on the Tour de France, but had dreams to win it himself one day. Starring Louis Talpe as Dom, along with Matteo Simoni, Tara Lee, Iain Glen, and Karel Roden. This seems to be distancing itself...

Independent will market premiere the film at the Cannes online Marché.

Independent has signed a North American deal with Gravitas Ventures for Kieron J. Walsh’s Irish cycling drama The Racer.

The London-based sales outfit is showcasing the film at next week’s Cannes online Marché. Screen exclusively reveal the first trailer for the film, above.

Set in summer 1998, The Racer follows late-career cyclist Dom Chabol, who has been one of the best support riders on the Tour de France for 20 years, but secretly harbours a desire to wear the yellow jersey once before his career is over. Walsh wrote the script with Ciaran Cassidy.

With the 2019 edition of the Tour de France having drawn to a close, the first image of “The Racer,” a film set during the notorious 1998 edition of the iconic bike race, has been released.

The real-life Tour de France was tainted by doping scandals in 1998, subsequently earning the nickname the Tour de Dopage. The opening stages of the world’s biggest bike race took place in Ireland in that year, before moving to France.

Kieron J. Walsh’s “The Racer” follows fictional Belgian rider Dom Chabol. He has been a domestique, a support rider in cycling parlance, for years. With the Tour about to start he is dropped from his team. After a doping issue disqualifies a teammate, he finds himself back in the saddle and with a shot at achieving his secret desire to wear the yellow jersey, which is sported by the race leader.

Louis Talpe, who starred...

Louis Talpe, Tara Lee, Matteo Simoni, Iain Glen board film’s cast.

London-based sales and production outfit Independent has boarded cycling drama The Racer and will be introducing the project to buyers in Cannes.

Louis Talpe (Of Kings And Prophets), Tara Lee (A Date For Mad Mary), Matteo Simoni (Gangsta), Iain Glen (Game Of Thrones) and Karel Roden (The Bourne Supremacy) lead the cast of the feature, which is being produced by Katie Holly (Love & Friendship) and Yvonne Donohoe of Irish outfit Blinder Films.

Jesus Gonzalez-Elvira of Calach Films is co-producing with Caviar Films’ Robin Kerremans and Dimitri Verbeeck.

Last week, after just two airings, ABC cancelled and pulled their new TV show, Of Kings and Prophets. Was the network too quick to pull the trigger? Were they justified?

Of Kings and Prophets is based on the Biblical Books of Samuel. The story is told through the eyes of the battle-weary King Saul, the resentful prophet Samuel, and the resourceful young shepherd, David. The three are on a collision course with destiny. The cast includes Ray Winstone, Olly Rix, Simone Kessell, James Floyd, Haaz Sleiman, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Jeanine Mason, Mohammad Bakri, David Walmsley, Louis Talpe, Nathaniel Parker, and Lyne Renée.

Read More…...

A couple years ago, NBC aired Ad: The Bible Continues. While the TV series found some devoted followers, the ratings were too low and the network cancelled it. Now, ABC is trying another Bible-based series called Of Kings and Prophets. Will it be a success? Cancelled or renewed for season two? Stay tuned.

Of Kings and Prophets is based on the Biblical Books of Samuel. The story is told through the eyes of the battle-weary King Saul, the resentful prophet Samuel, and the resourceful young shepherd, David. The three are on a collision course with destiny. The cast includes Ray Winstone, Olly Rix, Simone Kessell, James Floyd, Haaz Sleiman, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Jeanine Mason, Mohammad Bakri, David Walmsley, Louis Talpe, Nathaniel Parker, and Lyne Renée.

The ratings are typically the best indication of a show's likelihood of staying on the air. The higher the ratings (particularly...

Network: ABC

Episodes: Ongoing (hour)

Seasons: Ongoing

TV show dates: March 8, 2016 -- present

Series status: Has not been cancelled

Performers include: Ray Winstone, Olly Rix, Simone Kessell, James Floyd, Haaz Sleiman, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Jeanine Mason, Mohammad Bakri, David Walmsley, Louis Talpe, Nathaniel Parker, and Lyne Renée.

TV show description:      

This dramatic series is a saga of faith, ambition and betrayal and is based on the Biblical Books of Samuel. It's told through the eyes of the battle-weary King Saul, the resentful prophet Samuel, and the resourceful young shepherd David. The three are on a collision course with destiny and the story that unfolds is still being told today.

A thousand years before Christ, the first king of the Israelites, Saul (Ray Winstone), struggles to unify the dozen Israelite tribes and defend his fledgling nation...

Synopsis for this Belgium superhero film: Police woman / superhero falls prey to the power of a mysterious black crystal that creates an evil doppelganger of herself. Luckily she has her dog and policeman friend to help fight the menace. Starring: Free Souffriau as Mieke Fonkel (Mega Mindy) Louis Talpe as Toby Anton Cogen as Commissaris Kamiel Migrain Fred Van Kuyk as Opa Fonkel Nicky Langley as Oma Fonkel Levi van Kempen as Boef Axel Urbanus as Sultan Hero Muller as Klaus Directed by: Matthias Temmermans LEEE777 - You just know you wanna get a copy!