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Netflix's iHostage ending explained: Did Ilian Petrov manage to escape from the captor?
iHostage is a Dutch crime thriller movie that was released on Netflix on April 18, 2025. Bobby Boermans directed the film from a script he co-wrote with Simon de Waal. As reported by TIME on April 18, 2025, the film is based on true events and chronicles the story of an Apple Store robbery in Amsterdam.
The film follows Ammar Ajar, an armed man who enters an Apple store and wreaks havoc for five to six hours while the police try their best to save everyone. While many people manage to escape, one Bulgarian customer named Ilian Petrov ends up becoming Ammar's primary hostage.
Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for iHostage. Reader's discretion is advised.
Ammar claims he will release the hostages after his demands are met. While the police are able to safely evacuate the hostages on the other floors of the building, they are unable to do the same for Ilian, who is being held at gunpoint.
Ilian devises an escape plan by asking Ammar for water, which they both desperately needed, considering the long hours they had spent without eating or drinking. Ammar tries to get Ilian to pick up the water, but Ilian fails to do so.
With no other option in sight, Ammar puts down his gun to pick up the water. Ilian takes that opportunity to run out of the store and into the open. When Officer Winston sees Ammar clear of any hostages, he hits him with his car, allowing Ilian to escape physically unscathed.
How did Ilian Petrov end up at Ammar Ajar's gunpoint in iHostage?
iHostage begins with Ilian Petrov traveling to Amsterdam for work on the train. He falls asleep during the journey and is woken up by the conductor when they reach Amsterdam. In his hurry to get down, he leaves behind his AirPods case on the train.
Ilian does not realize that his AirPods are missing until he receives a call from his wife after checking into the hotel, freshening up, and taking two pills for his heart condition. He talks to her on speaker because he no longer has the AirPods. From their conversation, it becomes apparent that they have some financial issues.
However, his wife reveals that she has managed to gather the money for the deposit on the new apartment they were planning to buy. The news does not give any relief to Ilian, who now begins worrying if his wife has become involved in some illegal activity.
Since he has to begin working soon, Ilian decides to buy new AirPods. He enters the shop and informs an employee about his needs. The employee directs him to another employee, who provides him with the AirPods.
Ilian is just about to pay for the AirPods when a man wearing a dark jacket enters the shop. Upon being asked about his needs by the greeter at the front door, the man pulls out a gun and orders everyone to stay inside the shop.
Some of the customers manage to escape to the building's upper floor, while an employee named Mingus locks himself and three other customers in a closet with a digital lock. This leaves Ilian as the only person in the armed man's vicinity, and the latter does not waste any time in putting the gun to the poor man's head.
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What happened to Ammar Ajar in iHostage?
When the armed man shoots twice to terrorize everyone, the cops nearby hear them and rush to the shop. As the cops try to take a better look at the man, he sees them and fires again. The cops then take cover and call for backup.
Ammar also claims that his jacket is rigged with explosives, which he would detonate if the police try to play smart with him. When other cops arrive, they conclude that shooting at the man would be of no use since the store's glass walls are bulletproof.
Also read: The true story behind Netflix's iHostage, explained
Consequently, a negotiator named Lynn is told to diffuse the situation. She manages to get the armed man to reveal his name and his demands. Identifying himself as Ammar Ajar, he claims he is seeking revenge for his mistreatment by the government, the police, and society.
Ammar demands two hundred million euros in cryptocurrency and safe passage out of the store without facing any repercussions. Lynn tries to establish trust so that she can eventually get Ammar to stop doing this. Unfortunately, the man spots a laser from a sniper rifle and no longer wants to cooperate with her.
The police manage to save all other hostages from Ammar. It is Ilian's request for water—and his quick thinking—that eventually gets him out of the intense situation. However, things do not end well for Ammar, who is knocked unconscious after getting hit by Officer Winston's car.
A police robot inspects Ammar's jacket and reveals that he was lying about the bombs. Only then do officers approach his body. He is taken to the hospital but succumbs to his injuries the following day.
iHostage is available to stream on Netflix.
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