The Captive

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The Captive

R

2014

1h 52m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

28%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

35%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Eight years after a child disappeared without a trace, detectives find disturbing clues that indicate that the girl is still alive.

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Critics Consensus

Wan and lugubrious, The Captive represents another atmospheric, beautifully filmed misfire from director Atom Egoyan.

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Stephen Romei

The Australian

Egoyan skilfully brings these story-lines together as the film builds to its disconcerting conclusion.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 19, 2014

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Tirdad Derakhshani

Philadelphia Inquirer

For all its problems, The Captive does try to hit the themes that have obsessed Egoyan for three decades: desire, death, memory, and time.

Rated: 1.5/4

Dec 19, 2014

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

Becomes baroque and ludicrous as the Hitchcockian scenario loses its psychological bearings in a web of trashy plot twists and self-conscious jumps in time.

Dec 18, 2014

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Diego Batlle

Otroscines.com

Despite significant resources and a well-known cast, this accumulation of perversions, script whims, and ridiculous situations result in a monstrosity: cold, artificial, clumsy, manipulative, and, ultimately, hollow and banal. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 1/5

Jun 22, 2023

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Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

An interesting enough premise, but in an effort to differentiate itself from a score of similarly themed police procedurals, it makes a few wrong turns.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 2, 2021

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Alex Heeney

Seventh Row

[Atom] Egoyan frames each shot so precisely so that we're always aware of what we're not seeing, creating suspense as things are revealed.

Aug 15, 2017

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Bonzo D

I thought this looked promising, but right from the start when the investigators thought the dad was responsible, or had maybe lent his child to abusers to help pay his debts it was off pole. It just gets worse. The lead paedo is so badly cast and can't act to save his life. Also not explained is how he can have hidden cameras in the parents home? I'm at the charity event not. How come paedo man is at her table? A girl, accomplice, drugs a glass and puts it on a table with half a dozen other glasses to be drunk by the female detective. How did the pick up the right glass? It's ridiculous. And now she's being abducted. Don't really know if I can be bothered to see through to the end. Garbage. It gets worse. Dad follows a line of stolen Xmas trees after a night in a motel and gets to see his long lost daughter. Then he's shot with a tranquilizer dart when she tells him he has to go. WHO WRITES THIS RUBBISH?'

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/19/25

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Jacob B.

If I could give this movie negative stars I would.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/15/25

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Kaylee W.

This movie is slow and full of conversation. I don’t recommend unless you want to fall asleep.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/06/25

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Nim T

It is refreshing to see Ryan Reynolds in a different movie than Deadpool. I think he did the best he can portraying as a father that desperately tries to find his lost daughter, while also suffering from guilt and the blame from his wife. The changing of time frames, along with the presence of Rosario Dawson and Scott Speedman made the movie bizarre to watch. Are police figures that are portrayed supposed to be emotionless? Even the actress that played Cassandra was emotionless with no soul until towards the end. There should have been a clear explanation of how the girl was abducted, or else the audience would be puzzled how all these events happened.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/26/24

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Henrik M

Much more exciting than the poor ratings.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/18/24

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Audience Member

Dark subject, some lame moments, some clever ones. Well acted

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/12/24

Full Review

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Synopsis

Eight years after a child disappeared without a trace, detectives find disturbing clues that indicate that the girl is still alive.

Director: Atom Egoyan
Producer: Atom Egoyan, Simone Urdl, Jennifer Weiss, Stephen Traynor
Screenwriter: Atom Egoyan, David Fraser
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Ego Film Arts
Rating: R (Some Violence|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 12, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 27, 2015
Runtime: 1h 52m

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