Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Creepy, disjointed film suffers from poor storytelling.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
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Where to Watch
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The Captive
What's the Story?
Matthew (Ryan Reynolds) and his young daughter, Cassandra, are on their way home when he pulls over at a diner to pick up Cass' favorite -- pie. She elects to stay in the truck, but when he comes out a few minutes later, she has vanished. Gone. It's a crippling incident, something that will terrify any parent or child, but most of THE CAPTIVE actually focuses on the aftermath. Eight years later, Matthew's marriage to Tina (MIreille Enos) has collapsed, and a special police unit that focuses on pedophiles thinks it finally has a lead on a ring of criminals that may have been holding Cass prisoner all this time.
Is It Any Good?
Director Atom Egoyan is known for creating films that capture a certain melancholy -- the kind that solidifies after years of pain -- against a landscape that reflects it. He does the same with The Captive, which has at its center a singular event that defines and destroys everyone touched by it: the disappearance of a child. But the film doesn't hold. The movie jumps back and forth between at least three time periods, which makes it muddled. It's always winter, and the adults always look the same. Only Cass changes, but she's not in enough of the scenes to make it obvious. Reynolds is compelling as a grieving father, but it's still hard to believe some of the choices he makes. Enos is equally good, but she's only given one note to play in her few scenes: the barely-holding-it-together mother.
Though The Captive excavates their pain, it doesn't seem to know what to do with it, and what's unearthed feels unsurprising, even as the film moves toward a challenging second half. It's all surface, and it moves so slowly that it's hard to tell where it's going. By the time we get there, we've lost interest.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Cass' parents adjust to their daughter's disappearance in the years after her abduction. How could such a traumatic event disrupt a marriage? What do you think about Matthew's efforts to find his missing daughter, even years after her disappearance? Is he determined or just unwilling to admit defeat?
Do you think the film's premise is plausible? Does it seem like an effective way to warn young people about the dangers of the world? Do you think that's its intention?
Are the characters role models? Are they intended to be?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 9, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : March 3, 2015
- Cast : Ryan Reynolds , Mireille Enos , Rosario Dawson , Scott Speedman
- Director : Atom Egoyan
- Inclusion Information : Middle Eastern/North African Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Indigenous Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : A24
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 112 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language and some violence
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
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