Saagar Kote
Lifetime’s ‘Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story’ narrates the harrowing experiences of a family held hostage at their residence by a group of armed criminals. A pregnant woman named Marcela Borges (Dascha Polanco), her husband Rubens Morais (Johnathan Sousa), and their little son Ryan are suddenly attacked and asked to arrange $200,000 by the attackers, in exchange for their lives. Despite the husband and wife insisting that they don’t have access to that much cash, the leader of the offending group demands that they arrange the money at any cost. Directed by Felipe Rodriguez, the crime thriller film is based on a true story and delves into the ideas of family loyalty, morality, the spirit of maternal instincts, and survival. If the nuanced performances, captivating storyline, and the haunting themes of the narrative intrigued you, these films, similar to ‘Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story,’ shall be great additions to your watchlist.
10. Kidnapped: The Hannah Anderson Story (2015)
‘Kidnapped: The Hannah Anderson Story’ is the story of a California-based teenager named Hannah Anderson (Jessica Amlee), whose abduction after her cheerleading practice becomes a case that captures the attention of the media. Her possible connection with a man named James DiMaggio (Scott Patterson) also becomes a controversial issue when it is speculated that he is involved in the murder of her brother and mother.
The FBI and the local authorities start to investigate the case, wherein the protagonist faces a life-or-death scenario in the Lifetime true crime-inspired film. The Peter Sullivan directorial, on the lines of ‘Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story,’ is a female-centric narrative that looks at the idea of courage in the face of adversities. Familial ties and their complexities are major thematic elements in both stories.
9. Abducted: The Mary Stauffer Story (2019)
Helmed by Jim Donovan, Lifetime’s ‘Abducted: The Mary Stauffer Story’ or ‘53 Days: The Abduction of Mary Stauffer’ explores the tragic happenings in the lives of a high school teacher named Mary Stauffer (Alyson Hannigan), who gets kidnapped along with her daughter Beth Stauffer (Daphne Hoskins), by a troubled former student of hers. The kidnapper holds the two hostage and exhibits violent behavior, including demanding sexual favors from the teacher. The mother and daughter face a desperate scenario where their survival is put to the test. The real-story-based thriller resembles the ordeal faced by the main characters in ‘Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story.’ The mother-child relationship is a major part of the narratives.
8. Girl in the Basement (2021)
Based on a harrowing true crime, Lifetime’s ‘Girl in the Basement’ follows Sarah Cody (Stefanie Scott) in her pursuit of freedom from the clutches of her toxic and controlling father, Don Cody (Judd Nelson). He shatters her hopes on her 18th birthday by imprisoning her in their basement. While his wife Irene (Joely Fisher) and his other daughter Amy (Emily Topper) remain oblivious to his atrocities, he secretly tortures and rapes Sarah, convincing his other family members that she has run away. Directed by Elisabeth Röhm, the crime drama film delves into the claustrophobic scenario of being held hostage at one’s own home, in ways similar to ‘‘Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story.’ Despite the differences in plot, the journeys of Marcela and Sara are spiritually connected due to the ordeals they face.
7. Cleveland Abduction (2015)
Lifetime’s ‘Cleveland Abduction’ is a crime drama film that chronicles the haunting experiences of three women named Michelle Knight (Taryn Manning), Gina DeJesus (Katie Sarife), and Amanda Berry (Samantha Droke), who are all kidnapped by a troubled man named Ariel Castro (Raymond Cruz). It follows the journeys of the victims as they support each other through the worst of times and fight for their survival.
Based on the memoir, ‘Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed’ by Michelle Knight, The Alex Kalymnios directorial also features powerful courtroom scenes, which shed light on the atrocities faced by the victims. Akin to ‘Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story,’ the real-story-based film delves into the perspectives of kidnapped victims, and also looks at the theme of female liberation. Despite the differences in the plots, the movies contain similar visual flavors that explore sensitive ideas.
6. iHostage (2025)
Inspired by true events that transpired in Amsterdam, Netflix’s ‘iHostage’ is the story of a man named Ammar Ajar (Soufiane Moussouli), who challenges the system, the cops, and social morality by holding people hostage at an Apple store in Amsterdam. He claims that he has acted in such a way due to the way he is treated by the system, and demands a ransom of two hundred million dollars in cryptocurrency in exchange for the lives of the hostages. His complex emotional dynamics with one of the victims, named Ilian Petrov (Admir Sehovic), are also explored in the Dutch thriller film directed by Bobby Boermans. On the lines of ‘Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story,’ it explores the issue of morality and how human behavior changes under stressful circumstances. Though the two stories take place in different settings, the ideas of money and survival are explored in both.
5. 12 Desperate Hours (2023)
Based on Ann Rule’s true crime book ‘Last Chance, Last Dance,’ Lifetime’s ‘12 Desperate Hours’ chronicles the experiences of a mother named Val Jane (Samantha Mathis), whose home is invaded by a murderer named Denny Tuohmy (Harrison Thomas), who takes the main character and her young children hostage. To protect her kids, the victim agrees to drive the offender to his desired locations. However, one of her main goals is to save the lives of innocent people from the destruction he is willing to cause.
Directed by Gina Gershon, the crime thriller film resembles the world of ‘Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story’ as it features sequences wherein the kidnapper forces Val to drive into the places where he wants to go, which is exactly what Marcela faces. In both stories, mothers face dangerous scenarios where they have to make difficult decisions for the sake of their kids.
4. Room (2015)
Helmed by Lenny Abrahamson, the survival psychological drama film ‘Room’ tells the story of a woman named Joy Newsome (Brie Larson), who is held captive in a strange room by a dangerous man known only as Old Nick (Sean Bridgers), who rapes her. Locked in isolation, she gives birth to a son named Jack (Jacob Tremblay), who spends his childhood away from society and within the confines of a room. As the boy grows up to be five, the mother wishes to achieve liberation from her ordeal. Based on the eponymous novel by Emma Donoghue, it narrates a story of female courage, which resembles the journey of the main character in ‘Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story.’ The extremes to which a mother goes to save her kid in a hostage situation is a common theme that connects the stories spiritually.
3. The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story (2023)
Lifetime’s ‘The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story’ chronicles the experiences of a teenage girl named Kara Robinson (Katie Douglas), and her desperate attempts to survive when she is abducted and controlled by a dangerous man called Richard Evonitz (Kristian Bruun). As she is held against her will and sexually assaulted by the man who is also responsible for other murders, she realizes that she must do everything in her power to survive and achieve liberation from his cruelty, while the cops investigate her case. Akin to ‘Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story,’ the true-crime thriller film directed by Simone Stock deals with the courage of the main character, who tries to defy the odds when pushed to the edge of survival. The idea of kidnapping or holding a character hostage in a car is common in both narratives.
2. Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey (2018)
In the true-crime drama film ‘Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey,’ a suicidal teenage girl named Lisa McVey (Katie Douglas) faces a battle against the odds when she is kidnapped by a dangerous man called Bobby Joe Long (Rossif Sutherland), who also proceeds to rape her. After managing to free herself from the attacker by convincing him, she faces another challenge of making others believe that she was abducted. However, when a police detective takes an interest in her perspectives, she realizes she has a chance to make the world believe her story. The Lifetime film, directed by Jim Donovan, resembles the journey of the protagonist in ‘Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story,’ who is also held against her will by strangers. The feeling and visual tone of claustrophobia are essential in both stories, which also look at moral issues.
1. Captive (2015)
Based on the book ‘Unlikely Angel’ by Ashley Smith, ‘Captive’ mainly unfolds in the residence of the protagonist (Kate Mara) bearing the author’s name. The single mother, Ashley, who is dealing with drug addiction issues, is taken hostage by a criminal on the run named Brian Nichols (David Oyelowo) in her own home. However, what begins as a hostage situation soon evolves into a complex relationship between the victim and the offender, wherein Ashley tries to use the example of God and morality to help the criminal understand himself.
As the two navigate the situation, their understanding of each other and life undergoes complicated changes. Like ‘Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story,’ the crime-drama thriller film directed by Jerry Jameson deals with a scenario where the victim’s own home becomes the scene of the hostage situation. Both stories feature moral dialogue between the victims and the offenders, while also featuring tense visuals, forging a greater connection.
Read More: Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story Ending Explained
