The Captive
A24 | Release Date: December 12, 2014
5.2
USER SCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 42 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
14
Mixed:
19
Negative:
9
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand
Review this movie
VOTE NOW
 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Check box if your review contains spoilers 0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
5
SSKellyHulseApr 4, 2015
Frustrating! This movie had me screaming at the screen mostly at the bizarre and totally unrealistic dialogue. Acting is mediocre at best which is surprising for such an all star cast. But Scott Speedman is perfect as an obnoxious jerk andFrustrating! This movie had me screaming at the screen mostly at the bizarre and totally unrealistic dialogue. Acting is mediocre at best which is surprising for such an all star cast. But Scott Speedman is perfect as an obnoxious jerk and Ryan Reynolds is great as always not too mention the only reason to even bother seeing this movie. Bottom line: if you miss this your probably better off!… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
8
TVJerryFeb 20, 2015
Stumbled upon this on cable and was completely engrossed. Performances are solid, direction outstanding (and ultimately gripping) and story is grim but compelling.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
All this user's reviews
2
royphishoohMar 16, 2015
Truly tedious. This could have been a good movie but it is simply boring. Dreadful acting and a horrible screenplay. Once again a bad film is written by its director - when will they learn? Are all the decent writers working in television? IfTruly tedious. This could have been a good movie but it is simply boring. Dreadful acting and a horrible screenplay. Once again a bad film is written by its director - when will they learn? Are all the decent writers working in television? If the director also writes the story, who is there to say, "No, that stinks"?… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
All this user's reviews
9
ProteusJan 4, 2015
Solid throughout. Ryan Reynolds is typically excellent. The acting is good, the story structure is sound. The subject matter is difficult and verges on heartbreaking. Recommended for fans of Reynolds, Egoyan or basic suspense thrillers. Don'tSolid throughout. Ryan Reynolds is typically excellent. The acting is good, the story structure is sound. The subject matter is difficult and verges on heartbreaking. Recommended for fans of Reynolds, Egoyan or basic suspense thrillers. Don't be put off by the critics who have one thing in common - they have never made a movie.… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
All this user's reviews
4
duncan1964Jul 16, 2015
The art house thriller is a very difficult genre to pull off and Egoyan really struggles pulling it off here. The main story about child abduction should make for a fascinating film, but the characters here all act in ways that would be alienThe art house thriller is a very difficult genre to pull off and Egoyan really struggles pulling it off here. The main story about child abduction should make for a fascinating film, but the characters here all act in ways that would be alien to the average viewer, making decisions that make no sense whatsoever, and with dialogue that sounds far from realistic. A game cast are wasted in what should have been a fascinating companion piece to Prisoners… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
quincytheodoreMay 23, 2015
Exhaustingly disjointed narrative and clunky plot hamper the captivating premise. The Captive is a strange take on drama or thriller. It doesn't build up to intelligent conclusion or revelation as the movie gives some key point of the plotExhaustingly disjointed narrative and clunky plot hamper the captivating premise. The Captive is a strange take on drama or thriller. It doesn't build up to intelligent conclusion or revelation as the movie gives some key point of the plot early, instead it's a merry-go-round of twisted perspectives and timelines. The movie certainly gives deeper look of the people affected by the heinous act, yet its shifting tone is exceedingly slow and the repetitive narrative feels needlessly cumbersome.

Story mainly follows Matthew (Ryan Reynolds) as he tragically lost his daughter. The movie spans over eight years and multiple perspectives. While this method can be alluring, it becomes overly tedious after a while. It is literally a circle of events that may seem disconnected, only to eventually be pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle though the movie gives the audience a random piece at a time.

Details from one scene might be crucial at later times, it's meant to be a Eureka moment when it finally comes together. However, the little suspense doesn't amount much and there is barely any major twist to be had. The way it jumps through characters and timeline might deter some viewer, especially when the movie just starts to build momentum then it jumps to another perspective at much different time altogether. Furthermore, the movie does this gimmick the entire time, occasionally with rehearsed scenes.

The theme itself is dauntingly personal. It's a delicate matter and the movie does deliver the premise without being overbearing. Acting from the lead, mostly Ryan Reynolds, Rosario Dawson as the police investigator and Alexia Fast as the daughter are pretty compelling. At times it showcases the psychology aspect in sophisticated manner, but as the movie reveals the child spent eight years in captivity in first act, it does negate some of the thrill from earlier timeline.

The Captive presents a sense of grueling entrapment, parts of it are not in the tediously cinematic way it's meant to be.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
LeZeeSep 29, 2016
The message is to we be alert all time, no matter how friendly the society is.

This is like an extended version of 'Prisoners'. Sets in a small snowy Canadian town where a ten year old girl was mysteriously disappeared and so the filmThe message is to we be alert all time, no matter how friendly the society is.

This is like an extended version of 'Prisoners'. Sets in a small snowy Canadian town where a ten year old girl was mysteriously disappeared and so the film focused on the life of her parents who are eager to see her even after 8 years past. The cops and parents, hopelessly look for any clue of her being alive. Happy or sad ending, that's what the film's conclusion decides. Maybe the director was inspired to make this by his previous film, which was similar and based on the real, but that ends differently.

Films like this scares if you are a family man. But I think if we keep watching them at the time of it comes out, it is to alert us about our family security lapse. No matter whatever the country is, how safety it is, as they say, still thing like this happens in an eye blink time. The film is really something big, I wanted to like it, but they did not make the film right.

Not a bad film, only badly made, that's all. The characters, the concept had potential and the development ruined it everything. Nearly 75 per cent of the film was a drag. Everything we wanted to know is in first 15 and the last 30 minutes. In between, they have wasted in the name of development, hence the film failed to impress as what it promised, not from the message perspective and that's the point.

Not all the actors were good, particularly Ryan Reynolds was the best. The remaining ones were okay, though Rosario Dawson was the next best thing in the film. I did not like the presentation, it was so random to move from and forth between in the 8 years time span, it totally messed the film. Not only confuses the viewers, it gained nothing from it. Because usually this kind of narration method used to bring twist and turns and audience to keep guessing till the final, but in this case, it did not work at all. Other than that the film was better than it was criticised, I still suggest it for the adults because of the film theme.

6/10… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
8
smiyamotDec 31, 2015
What an interesting look at child porn. The parents of a girl who is taken are grilled by the police as if they have sold her to the pornographers, even after 8 years. Are real police that stupid? They always check bank records for largeWhat an interesting look at child porn. The parents of a girl who is taken are grilled by the police as if they have sold her to the pornographers, even after 8 years. Are real police that stupid? They always check bank records for large deposits of funds, etc. Other than that complaint, a good tale of how porn rings operate and how hard it is to break then.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
4
Stargirl04May 15, 2016
what a snowy cold accurate 8 months of the year in Canada this movie was. That almost made it harder to watch because if I wanted to see that I could just look outside. It gave it a more desolate gloomy feel which I guess this kind of storywhat a snowy cold accurate 8 months of the year in Canada this movie was. That almost made it harder to watch because if I wanted to see that I could just look outside. It gave it a more desolate gloomy feel which I guess this kind of story calls for. Anyway the movie wasn't bad but there were a few holes in the story that left me with questions. The police really irritated me with the accusatory stuff toward the father made me really irritated because that's not how a parent should be treated if they report a child missing. Until they have proof that the parent had something to do with it they should tone it down. but again it's a movie. a little strange but decent.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
4
JLuis_001Sep 6, 2017
Imagine an episode of The Law and Order: SVU of almost two hours long, with many entanglements and some lost narrative and that's what you will get from The Captive, honestly I hoped for something much better, but the film fails to provideImagine an episode of The Law and Order: SVU of almost two hours long, with many entanglements and some lost narrative and that's what you will get from The Captive, honestly I hoped for something much better, but the film fails to provide it, what a shame.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
0
GhostDragon1977Jul 26, 2023
Two words: movie sucked. This was a waste of time, rambling plot, terrible script, over the top acting, sad producing. Overall a terrible movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
3
PixarPalMay 4, 2022
Egoyan's direction is hopelessly cliché, the cinematography/lighting is disturbingly lackadaisical, and the screenplay is devoid of psychological complexity. If you're going to watch an A24 abduction film watch Room instead.
3.5/10 [E]
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
9
Mohamed45tdyApr 24, 2022
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved the Movie and Story and Actors............
...
.........................................… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
More From This Movie

36 Critic Reviews

5.2 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL