Captive

I thought this movie was pretty great. I would give it an 80%. More star power may have helped it but the acting was great.

Acting is terrific! Story is engaging and seemed realistic to me. I don't usually watch movies with violence, but the real subject of this movie was interpersonal relationships. There's a focus on God towards the end, but people who say this is a "Christian movie" are assuming that if you mention God, it's the God of Christianity. Of course, large numbers of people have a relationship with God but are not Christian.

Too obsessed with moralizing to take advantage of its strong leads.

This was great movie.

At first, had a difficult time staying with the story-line. Had to remind myself that is a "True Life Occurrence"...I have not read the book, so I don't know how close it was played. With the time limitation of film, I feel that the characters were developed as best as they could. This is a hard core, in your face, look at addictions & mental illnesses; that is presented at a level many families may be comfortable allowing their children to watch. Not knowing the ultimate outcome I have admit I choked-up and shouted AMEN when Ashley said, "No!" It was a hard movie to watch, as it should be. I do recommend it.

Movies made from true life stories often are nothing more than dramatized history. Not so with Captive. This is an honest depiction of two lives traveling in different directions that collide into one night of unexpected transformation. Captive is not dramatized history, itâ(TM)s a well-executed character study that makes no overt conclusions. The story is developed in such a way that the audience is allowed to see inside both of the main characters and make their own analysis of how and why they are the way they are. Brian Nichols is on his way to court accused of rape. He believes he is being accused of a crime he didnâ(TM)t commit and has no more patience for what he views is an oppressed life. In an explosion of rage, he takes advantage of a trusting jailer, beats her to the ground and grabs her gun; he then murders three people before escaping in a hijacked car. Brian eventually makes his way to an apartment complex late at night and encounters Ashley Smith, a recovering meth addict. Brian follows Ashley back to her apartment where he takes her hostage for the next seven hours. During this time, Ashley, who desperately wants to end her drug addiction to regain custody of her young daughter, begins reading Rick Warrenâ(TM)s book, âThe Purpose Driven Life,â? more as a nervous impulse than anything else. When Brian notices she is reading, he demands she read out loud to him. God has not been a driving force in either of these lives, but now he is present and working inside both. Captive is structured more as an experience than it is a movie. The script, the camera work, the direction, the acting all work together to place the audience directly in the apartment with Brian and Ashley. How did Ashley let drugs get in between her and the deep love she has for her daughter? How did Brian allow his life to tumble into total darkness? What role will God play as Rick Warren preaches from the pages of his book? This is a fascinating story beautifully developed into a mesmerizing film.

Captive is pretty much a by the book kidnapping thriller. The performances are OK but the movie builds up with absolutely no pay off. There's never any fear for the characters and as a result the movie feels like something made for TV. It's not a horrible movie but pretty forgettable.

Captive is pretty much a by the book kidnapping thriller. The performances are OK but the movie builds up with absolutely no pay off. There's never any fear for the characters and as a result the movie feels like something made for TV. It's not a horrible movie but pretty forgettable.

The compelling premise doesn't disappoint as it turned out thrilling and tense from the well-acted chemistry of the leading pair finding themselves while in an assumingly dead-end situation, even though it was also sporadically bland along with questionable credibility under the suspicious act of being formulaic. (B-) (Full review TBD)

Captive is a just about passable thriller based on the true story of a drug addict held hostage by an escaped prisoner. Kate Mara and David Oyelowo put in good performances as the films leads but unfortunately the story is too lightweight and there just aren't enough thrills to keep this engaging. It's also rather preachy, which soon became irritating. Overall, Captive is a watchable film but it's also completely forgettable.