The Captive

A24 | Release Date: December 12, 2014

5.2	USER SCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 42 Ratings

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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