The Captive

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The Captive

R

2014

1h 52m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

28%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

32%

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

12/19/2014

3/5

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

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Tirdad Derakhshani

Philadelphia Inquirer

12/19/2014

1.5/4

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

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

12/18/2014

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.

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Diego Batlle

Otroscines.com

06/22/2023

1/5

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]

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Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

02/02/2021

2/5

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.

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Alex Heeney

Seventh Row

08/15/2017

[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.

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Josh W

@Wilspup75 1d

This movie had such an opportunity to be good, but it jumps timelines without anyonbe looking different, so you spend half the time just trying to figure out which timeline you're in. Heck, a person is kidnapped mid-movie and by the end of the movie, I had forgotten they were even missing because they hadn't even thouched on them missing and that person kept showing up later on because we were set in an earlier time frame.

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TheMovieSearch R

@TheMovieSearch 3d

The Captive starring Ryan Reynolds is a gripping thriller about a father whose daughter is abducted and the long, painful search to find her years later. The story focuses on the emotional weight of a parent who refuses to give up, even as suspicion and accusations begin to surround him. The screenplay builds tension well and creates moments that genuinely pull the audience into the mystery. However, the film is not perfect. Some scenes slow the pacing and feel unnecessary, which causes the story to drag at times. Rosario Dawson gives a solid performance early in the film, but her presence fades in the third act, which feels like a missed opportunity. Despite its flaws, the casting works well and Reynolds carries the film with a strong, emotional performance. Overall, it’s a decent thriller that keeps your attention even if it doesn’t fully reach its potential.

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Matthew P.

@Filmcritic123 4d

The only thing good about this movie is the idea of it. The dialogue and acting is bad. The cop characters are cringy and cliche. The switching of times lines is confusing and it just doesn’t hit. Thrillers aren’t supposed to be this boring.

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Drew F.

@Drewfrost20 4d

Kind of like Prisoners but not as good in every way. Worth a one time watch if nothing else sounds good.

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Julia C.

@jchuran 4d

This was a complete waste of almost 2 hrs. The jumping of timelines was very confusing and you didn't have anyone to root for.

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Brittany G.

@bgoss5 5d

What ? Why ? Who? Where? When? …. Terrible

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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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