Gladbeck: The Hostage Crisis

After a 24 hour standoff at a bank robbery, two armed men and their two hostages flee through West Germany. Later, they hold up a city bus and take more hostages. While the police stay back, the criminals instead open a dialogue with the press, calmly taking questions while brandishing weapons. With reporters following the bus through the country, conducting interviews at every stop, the hostage takers are growing more anxious about the situation. With no clear-cut path for a peaceful conclusion, the nation remains glued to the television. Now on Netflix, the German-language documentary “Gladbeck: The Hostage Crisis” relies exclusively on footage shot by news crews who captured the 54-hour ordeal. For English-speaking audiences unfamiliar with the 1988 event, its close-up, real-time chronicle of this rolling standoff builds both suspense and dread.