(15, 113 mins): Starring Bruce Willis, Kevin Pollak, Jonathan Tucker and Ben Foster. Directed by Florent Emilio Siri.

Brilliant yet unconventional LAPD negotiator Jeff Talley (Willis) feels responsible for the deaths of a young mother and her child during a tense hostage situation.

He resigns his high-profile position and takes a job instead as the chief of police in the sleepy town of Bristo Camino in Ventura County.

However, the ghosts of the past return to haunt Talley when three delinquent teenagers botch a car robbery and take a family hostage in their multi-million dollar hillside compound.

A tense situation rapidly spirals out of control and Talley is reluctantly thrust back into the role of hostage negotiator.

Hostage is a decent little thriller, torn from the pages of Robert Crais's novel, which generates its suspense from the nicely convoluted plot and director Florent Emilio Siri's dazzling shooting style.

Setting the action in and around one house over the course of one day and one night lends the picture an air of urgency and cranks up the claustrophobia.