Captivity (2007) User Reviews (215)

Reasonable effort

[cynical_si · 6/10 · 10 July 2007]

You see I saw another movie yesterday (9 July 07) about being trapped in a room which may have been to the detriment of Captivity. While in general the idea was good there was something not quite thrilling enough. Captivity borrowed from a smattering of other movies without really living up to any of them.

It was nice to see Elisha doing something different, and as always pleasant enough to see her in a film.. but I felt little empathy for her character or indeed, that of her companion.

Not psychological enough to be another Silence of the Lambs or 1408, and not horror / gore enough to be another Saw, Cube or Hostel.

Nice an afternoon if you have nothing else to do

[Review_IT · 6/10 · 11 July 2007]

I liked the movie for what it is, a movie to pass the time on a rainy afternoon.

Unfortunately, the story is not that great. And with an avalanche of similar themed movies recently, this one really needed to shine to stick its head out above the rest. Don't expect too much of it. One known actress doesn't make a good movie, so don't blame one person for the script etc. Still worth seeing if you're invited by someone else to see it.

The end of the movie could have been with a bit more suspense I thought.

Be careful what you disclose to others

[crissy_snow · 6/10 · 4 July 2007]

Keywords of movie: Horror/Torture; Facing of ones own fears and strengths.

Story Genre: a Torture Horror; a Suspense Thriller; a Psychological Thriller

The Story centers around two young people as they Endure endless tests of their inner strength, It is disclosed that the tests hold a much deeper meaning, as fears must be faced, those unthinkable situations are presented.

The movie held my interest, as I learned more about their backgrounds, and the very small hints only to the identity of the bad guy(s) The characters were nicely portrayed and the plot was smoothly played out. Elisha Cuthbert;The main female character was beautiful, she had a helpless kitten way about her, yet knew underneath she had a tiger that could emerge and attack. Daniel Gillies;The lead male, wow now this guy is going to go far, he can surly act with the best of them. He is built he has a confidant take charge manner, with a gentle touch. He has an air about him, almost aloof.

I only felt a mild sense of boredom towards the middle, it seemed more focused on trying to get a sex scene in the movie than the actual story line. And I found the many actual torture scenes to be enough to keep me squirming in my seat.

The ending blew my mind, I thought I had it figured out middle way through, but was totally wrong, Lol, very well done.

Even though the actual plot is not totally unique, I felt this time the character was much better able to keep the facade going longer thus keeping the audience in suspense longer.

I felt very entertained after viewing the movie, the rest of the night was spent in discussion of the movie pointing out each characters strong points and how each scene played out. I know I will be telling all my friends about the movie, and seeing if they won't watch the movie and join the discussion and appreciation of the work of art.

captivity

[benlinham · 1/10 · 3 August 2007]

i watched this film last night and to be honest with you i wish i didn't i would rather watch paint dry than this awful film. basically the director or writer have stolen there ideas from saw 1,2 and 3 but made it less violent (what is the point).One good thing about this film is the acting which is good and the characters make it there own.I really do wish these people that make these films could come up with at least 2 to 3 original ideas rather than steal there ideas of other producers. story line is lame and is just boring , you can predict right from the start whats going to happen, i plead with you all out there do not waste your time on this movie. thank you for your time ocd productions (fool)

So bad it was good.

[b-doyle · 1/10 · 26 June 2007]

Absolutely fantastic.

Now, before a legion of cinema purists choke on their lattés, allow me to elaborate. Much as I enjoyed it, this is quite simply one of the worst films I have ever seen and is certainly the worst film I've seen at the cinema (an impressive claim, as I remember seeing Daredevil on the big screen). The two leads (Daniel Gillies and Elisha Cuthbert) were unconvincing at best and downright awful at worst. Of course, they weren't helped by a script that had as much emotional depth as a Daphne & Celeste single and characterisation that was about as convincing as the OJ defence. The plot (to stretch the term slightly) was thin to non-existent and the 'gore' scenes, whilst undoubtedly brutal, were irrelevant and laughably formulaic. What plot there is revolves around a twenty-something model (Cuthbert) who is abducted, imprisoned and subjected to various visceral tortures, both psychological and physical. The torture scenes feel like disconnected set pieces and the emphasis was laid squarely upon shocking rather than scaring the audience. Whilst there really are very, very few positives to draw from this film, its redeeming features are the very flaws that make it such a dreadful film. I have never heard a more vocal audience in a cinema. Within twenty minutes, the entire cinema was in stitches and remained that way throughout. For my part I came out flushed with laughter, buoyed by a film that had ascended to the pinnacle of appalling film-making. Whichever way you look at it, this is truly a cinematic achievement and a blueprint for future directorial wannabes detailing minutely how not to make a film.

P.S. I omitted to mention that I managed to get in to the film free...so I can afford to laugh about it. I was still tempted to ask for my money back...it really was THAT bad.

Trust me, you have better things to do with your time...

[chriscoates · 2/10 · 25 July 2007]

Elisha Cuthbert was perfectly fine in the recent House of Wax (which was the same kind of role), but occasionally seems totally adrift here. This is the fault of the director (Roland Joffe - who was once a decent film-maker), but it's hard to single him out for criticism as every single aspect of this film seems to be just as lousy and half-arsed as the next. The look of the film, the story, the characters and the dialogue have no personality or life of their own and instead are clearly uninspired wholesale rip-offs of those found in the likes of the Hostel and Saw films and then reassembled into this dull, turgid, mess. If you want an example of an inept, unloved, souless, studio-funded zeitgeist cash-in flick then here it is. Avoid.

Not Really Torture Porn

[zekelyndon · 7/10 · 13 July 2007]

I'm a fan of the Saw series, and Hostel (not of Hostel 2). I enjoy these types of movies and I'm only a tad ashamed. Call me a dumb, violence seeking goon but these movies are entertaining.

What's this got to do with Captivity? Well, nothing really. I was drawn to this movie because I thought it was going to be another retelling of this sick sub-genre of horror that I do so love. I was sadly disappointed because this absolutely is not a "torture porn" movie. It would have been much more honest of the production company, After Dark Films, to say it was a thriller with slight torture porn inklings (very slight).

Maybe, the folks at After Dark didn't actually see the movie. What I saw was psychological in nature and dealt much more with assaults on the mind of those captive than it did with actual assaults on the bodies of those captive. Yes, there is some blood and some nasty gore but nothing like Saw or Hostel or even Touristas.

Understand that if you don't like Saw, Hostel etc., then this is a good choice for a horror/thriller to go see this weekend.

Now that that's out of the way I'll just say: It's not a great movie but adequate. A solid B-movie endeavor. Fun, kind of stupid at times, pretty good acting by the luscious Elisha Cuthbert (for the guys-your girlfriends might get jealous) and the director, Roland Joffe (best known for The Mission, The Killing Fields), imbued the entire film with a look that worked very well to be creepy and ominous. It moves fairly quickly, lags a bit in the middle and ends with a slightly predictable twist but really you don't care at that point because, surprise, you've been entertained. Well, at least I was even though my hunger for gore was only slightly abated.

B-

A great hoax!

[Brutal_Romance · 1/10 · 25 August 2007]

What movie do you get when you add an empty plot, disjointed and meaningless script, possible incest, random love scenes, and infuriating characters with no real personalities? You get Captivity that's what you get.

I was really deceived to watch this movie because it did look like a cheap hoax of Saw or Hostel; I have sick tendencies and do enjoy watching sadistic torture. This is the kind of movie that would make you leave the theater scratching your head and wondering how was that amateur of a director allowed to create such ridiculousness. If was going to rate it, I would have to say it doesn't deserve any star. It deserves to rot in a DVD rental store where on rare occasions it might be rented by tweens on a sleepover looking for a possible chance of gore and sex, the mild kind that is.

Adds nothing new, but it's a hell of a lot better than the Saw sequels!

[The_Void · 7/10 · 29 June 2007]

I have to admit that I probably wouldn't have gone to cinema to see this film if it wasn't for all the unneeded controversy surrounding it's marketing campaign in the USA, but I guess that's a good thing as it shows that the people who initiate that sort of thing usually just end up helping the film in question to reach a wider audience. I have to say that whoever it was that made such a fuss about the posters did me a favour, as while Captivity isn't exactly a modern masterpiece; it's certainly a decent little horror thriller, and I'm glad I went to see it. The film focuses solely around Jennifer Tree, an actress who is abducted and thrown into a basement dungeon from which there is no escape and she is continually watched over by the psychopath who abducted her; a man who also enjoys putting her through all manner of sadistic and brutal torturing. Hope arises when she finds a man in the cell next to her, and together they attempt to escape from the dungeon. But as they face more sadism and torture, it turns out that the situation isn't all it seems.

This film is obviously catching on to the 'torture porn' film type that seems to be dominating the horror genre recently (films such as Hostel and Saw being at the forefront), but while this doesn't add anything new; it is entertaining to watch, and that is really all that is important from this sort of film. The film is, surprisingly, directed by experienced director Roland Joffé, whose only other film I've seen is the Oscar nominated "The Killing Fields" - and this is nothing like it! (Though I'd say that's a good thing...). The screenplay was written by the great Larry Cohen, who you can always count on for an entertaining thrill ride, and while this isn't one of his best attempts; I'd pretty much say he delivered (it's better than Cellular, too). The twist in the middle can be seen coming a mile off, but that's not important either as the handling after the twist is good and with this, Cohen succeed in racketing the film up a notch. Captivity is very short at just 85 minutes, but I'd rather it be on the short side than feature a bucket load of filler like many films these days do. Overall, I won't say this is brilliant or a classic; but it's a more than decent horror thriller and I definitely recommend seeing it.

SAW 4?!!!!!!! Whoever said that saw a different film to me!

[badness_in_you · 1/10 · 24 July 2007]

I have never seen such an utter pile of rubbish in my life! I have never felt the need to write a film review before...however, on this occasion I feel it is my duty to tell the poor souls who are contemplating wasting over an hr and a half of their lives giving it a go because some of the reviews say it's a really good film! I fell into this trap...don't do it!!!!! How anyone can compare this film to Saw is completely beyond me! The acting was terrible...unless wide eyes and shallow breathing convince you that someone is really really scared! The plot was soooooo predictable...saw it coming a mile off and I was more tense and scared watching doctor who when I was a kid! The only redeeming factor is that it was so ridiculous and had so many blunders in it, that I actually got a laugh out of it on a few occasions...like when the main character is running away from the baddie...she runs into a bedroom and shuts and locks the door behind her....pushes a bed behind the door...puts a chair on top of the bed??? (cos that's gonna make a difference??)...the baddie gets to the door...the tension is building...NOT!...he smashes it!...I can tell you're scared now!...unlocks it...and opens it outwards!!!!! Hahahahahaha! Nearly weed laughing!!! Don't fink it was meant to make the audience laugh though...quite glad I did...or I might have cried!!! Friendly word of advice...don't bother and for anyone who has given this any more that a 3 out of 10...I want some of what you're on!!!!;)

Stunning visuals save a troubled script

[hollywoodhorrorchick · 8/10 · 13 July 2007]

What Captivity lacks in innovation it makes up for in style. Say what you will about plot holes and struggling performances, but the film looks beautiful, sounds great, and the atmosphere of the film will stay with you. Elisha Cuthbert's character is shallow, but appropriately so, as a naive fashion model who, even while in the deepest pit of misfortune, doesn't quite grasp what's going on. She keeps close to her teddy bear, apologizes for no apparent reason, and cries single tears... never ceasing to look picture perfect. (This is one gripe I have with the film. The leading lady should show a little more wear and tear, in my opinion.) I understand that the writer of Captivity claims to have based the character on Paris Hilton, and while I don't entirely believe that that's what the film was aiming for, it's an interesting comparison. In light of Hilton's recent incarceration, it's also a bit of commentary, however unintentional, on our culture's fascination with celebrities, the desire to be close to them, and to possess a piece of them.

The looming, black gloved torturer is a smidge cliché, but it does the trick. It's a genre film, and certain symbols are to be expected and forgiven. Again, the set and sound design are spot-on, and that carries a lot of weaker areas through to the end.

The editing is very choppy, due in part to the fact that a large portion of the original movie was removed and replaced with new material shot long after the original version ended production. The result is a cut-and-paste appearance which actually works quite well, given all the time Cuthbert's character spends going in and out of consciousness. It's almost an art film effect, hypnotic and disorienting.

Lower your expectations and have a good time.

[zoeyneo · 7/10 · 13 July 2007]

I had pretty low expectations for this, so when it turned out to be not that bad (almost, dare i say, pretty... good?) I left the theater extremely enthusiastic. It delivers, believe it or not, a complete, if not well-rounded story. Here it is, in a sentence: Jennifer Tree is a beautiful young fashion model getting things she doesn't deserve and deciding she needs to get the hell out. Elisha Cuthbert plays the lead, and she looks phenomenal. Even while she is being held captive, her "damsel in distress" act makes great cinema. Always nice to see a girl that's been passed off as a dumb blond get up and kick some ass. I know there are people that feel otherwise about this movie but hey- I liked it! So there!

Not a good write but still hate this movie

[clifford546 · 1/10 · 7 August 2007]

First of all i figured this movie, for the most part was going to be bad. But i am into horror/torture/gore films which this is made out to be so i checked it out. Luckily I just bought the bootleg and wasted five dollars opposed to ten to see this trash in theaters. Captivity is more or less a saw knockoff minus the gore and excitement. Lets see an insane individual captures and tortures his /her victim in inhumane ways seen it loads of times. More times then none it's a bad movie in this genre and this it just that. But what crappy movies make up for in script and acting is usually loads of gore, this could have been pg-13, I don't get why its not, if they took out the f -bombs in this, done pg-13 movie and it would have made more money reaching a younger audience. The acting also of Cuthbert is so cheesy and fake, and all the event throughout the movie are unlike any other torture movies I've seen and that's not a good thing. I don't want to give anything away but I should give it all away so other people save their time and money. I'm going to stop there because all want to do is rip on this movie scene by scene. Also might add the garbage director seems to be obsessed with shooting off mirrors and windows, its gives a real nice garbage view and its confuses you when he move form the mirror and films its straight on. Anyone in their right mind don't see this don't even think of seeing it because if you like this genre of film of kidnapping torturing and gore this movie is not that. it's a move of a dumb blonde and her dumb movie.

Did anyone see the movie?

[bozali · 1/10 · 5 October 2007]

i paid the tickets, i enter and sat down and i looked at the silver screen. unfortunately i couldn't see any movie nor script either director. i never saw this bad movie in my life. just like the director (if there was one) said that "scripts? who reads scripts. action!" storytelling was awful, actors were extremely bad, ending was useless. i don't know, i got really mad to the producers who let this thing happen. because its unfair. i am a copywriter and i know how hard to create something, how hard to present to someone and how hard to expect that someone will accept the idea... but i don't understand how can a producer accepts this kind of a idea which is not actually an idea. all my heart i can say that, with my little experience i would shoot that film better. i can make that film a movie. with my weak English i can say that i write better scripts than this. sorry all about my comment but i am very angry and i don't understand the people who doesn't like the hostel or the saw. because they are original... not a fake like this... pardon me not a bad fake like this...

i am a very serious movie fan, i believe that i can come with much better ideas!

apologizes for my sharp response but i'm very upset and felt that i have to write here...

Worst movie of 2007

[springsunnywinter · 1/10 · 13 December 2007]

Captivity has no originality; it is a lame copy of Saw. Saw was good but the filmmakers of Captivity can't even copy well. The title character played by Elisha Cuthbert was not introduced properly and her acting was so bad that even a dum looking dummy can act better. It is overrated and should have been in the IMDb bottom 100.

Saw was intelligent but Captivity was dum, stupid, boring and so predictable that you don't need average intelligence to understand. The film was far from entertaining with a very, very weak (or no) story line. The director must have pulled the script from his bum and was running around his house with it and his wife hit him on the head with a rolling pin and said, "You promised me no more rubbish films!"

Overall watching this movie is like that you are held captive and begging for the end credits to end the nightmare. It has more plot holes than a sieve and watching three hours of your washing machine spin would be more rewarding than this!

great film for "HOW NOT TO DIRECT A MOVIE"

[pc-orkinman · 1/10 · 13 September 2007]

the flow of this film was horrible. It got to the point where i had to watch just to see how bad it got. what was so bad? Obvious mistakes that could be simply corrected by not drinking while directing the movie. (warning scene spoilers) (1.) In the beginning, she watches a video of her capture, which the "lone psycho" grows a 3rd arm and films a pass through the van to end up at a shot of himself driving. (2.) when trying to escape through the air-duct, the psycho lowers a camera to see the captive, through which you see his own eye when looking at it? I've seen something similar on a looney toons cartoon. (3.) when the "glass wall" between the two captives is painted, they have to yell and mime to each other though small scraped areas, but when the area is scraped bigger the seem to be able to hear each other better too. (4.) After yelling through the scraped area to each, the male prisoner simply moves upward to speak normally to her through a vent. (5.) as they are speaking in this scene he uses a match that can burn out and then re-extend itself. (7.) the "unrealness" of the calm, almost normal "how did you get here?" conversation seemed horribly out of place. (6.) after this scene then can just talk to each other normally through the glass, and even from across their rooms. (7.) with all this conversation between each other, why did he not say anything at the beginning when the girl freaks out and screams her head off? 8,9,10..... too many to list, but fun to watch to see how many you can pick out. the whole film is kinda like a "where's waldo" of bad scenes. As to whether or not it's a rip-off of other movies...well how many ways are there to do a story of captured and/or tortured victim/s.

The movie is at least up front of what it is about, just don't expect it to be good.

Unpleasantly Surprised, In A Good Way

[vawagg · 7/10 · 13 July 2007]

I didn't really want to see this movie. I'm not much into the genre and frankly I was kind of angered by the billboards that got taken down. But there was not much else to go see if you're not a Harry Potter fan. I was pleasantly, rather, unpleasantly surprised.

This is good thriller. I loved Elisha Cuthbert. I thought she did a great job. I was plenty scared and truly worried for her. There is some pretty hot stuff between her and Daniel Gilles. Gilles has a chance to be another Hollywood heartthrob. I believed in her character and cared about what happened to her.

It's not at all what I expected from this movie. Though there are pretty gratuitous torture scenes most of the movie was internal and really tackled fear unlike I've seen in a movie before. It not anything like Hostel or Saw both of which I didn't care for.

I'd recommend this for anyone who wants a good thrill and doesn't mind blood and gore.

OMG... Please no...

[pugheaven · 1/10 · 19 July 2007]

What a load of old boring rubbish... not sure what version I've just seen, but my mate watched this at the Cinema and reckons it's 75% different... he rated the original cinema incarnation... but anyway... by the by..

This one had NO gore in it... too many police randomly finding things... no story... terrible characters and the lvoe scene is incredible... meant to be scared out of their wits then get at "it" :-) No no no...

I'm sick of all this "SAW" trash coming out now... no one has any originality... as much as I hated Saw III for all it was trying to be... blimey,. this film makes it look like Citisen Kane... please AVOID AT ALL COSTS... you'll have wasted 90 minutes of you life... watch Ghost Rider instead ;-) Pug

Caught Off Guard

[bcantos616 · 7/10 · 22 May 2007]

I was at a test screening a few weeks ago and I have to say I was really caught off guard. First of all this is not another Saw ripoff at all. It's much more psychological, dealing with mind games and phobias that make you think about what scares you at your core. It moves really quickly, jumping into the action before the credits finished rolling and didn't ever let up (till the end of course). It was totally demented and sick but didn't simply rely on gore. It's a smart movie that's shot really well so that it looks unlike other horror movies.

I thought I would hate it but I actually liked it a lot. Elisha Cuthbert is quickly becoming one of my top five (not that that has any bearing on my review here) and there's a sex scene that is pretty smoking hot. But surprise, surprise it's not an exploitive sex scene. There's actually some refined taste here exercised by the film makers.

The biggest surprise for me was this: I think women will really like Captivity more than the other movies in the genre because this comes more from a woman's point of view and is much more internal in the way it deals with fear.

All in all I have to recommend this movie.

A flawed, ludicrous dreck

[MsFarEast · 1/10 · 1 August 2007]

I saw this film a few weeks ago and I have to say although it tries to be something new and fresh, in the end it just falls apart on many levels.

First is the acting. I've never in my life seen such atrocious and wooden acting in a horror film (a genre that's not by any means my cup of tea) or any film for that matter. Though its nice to see Elisha Cuthbert branching out into unfamiliar territory, her performance is nowhere near as convincing as it was in "24".

Secondly, lack of character development. So she's a fashion model and whatnot but what else do we know about her?!?! I ( and I suspect the other viewers) said to myself while viewing the film. Seriously, it would've been nice had the director elaborated more on her character as well as the other person that was held "captive" in the house in some unknown location.

Third, the dialog. Whoever wrote the script to this film must've been high on drugs or something because the dialog is so badly written and contrived that it leaves the audience with a sense of emptiness that I unfortunately felt prior to viewing this film.

And last but not least is the ending, which defies logic so clearly and so sudden that it almost seems comedic.

In closing, I would like to say that this film is a complete waste of time and human logic and sanity. "Eisha Cuthbert. if you are reading this (and dear god I hope you are) Honey, let me give you some advice: Just stick to TV, or do a porn movie or something." I can't think of one redeeming thing about this film other than the fact that I wish I could get my money back from it.

Pick of the Weekend!

[g_pierson34 · 8/10 · 13 July 2007]

Captivity's credits bill it as "a Russian-American coproduction," and it damn near warms the cockles of one's heart to see that the two countries that nearly brought us nuclear war can come together to make a movie about torturing a supermodel (Elisha Cuthbert). Ah, capitalism. Surprising it took Lionsgate this long to do a decent rip-off of their Saw cash cow, but at least they took the time to do it right. Grungy warehouse rigged with ridiculously elaborate electronics, cameras, and traps? Check. Grotesque torture devices and "challenges" right out of a special snuff edition of Fear Factor? Definitely. Talented character actor (Pruitt Taylor Vince, in this case) cloaked in a black robe and a hidden agenda? You know it. Sure, there's no character development to speak of, and one or two plot points make no sense at all, but director Roland Joffe makes things visually interesting and aurally unsettling, and the story from B-movie maestro Larry Cohen keeps it simple: Girl needs to escape, but bad sh*t keeps happening. Screw the culture cops who freaked out over Captivity's graphic poster and always cry "torture porn"—this is a gleefully nasty piece of red meat for horror hounds that delivers as promised. (from the OC Weekly)

ending change

[liufrancesca · 7/10 · 24 March 2007]

I saw this movie at a test shoot. I thought it was alright. I think it is good that the main character is played by someone who isn't emaciated. She actually looks like a real person, although she is playing a model. There was not as much gore as I would have thought. I read they are re-shooting parts to make it more gory. I think the set is really cool. It looks like a cellar but it has a lot of random technology in it. The two people who are captured scratch messages back and forth to each other with the lighting it is a cool visual effect. I thought the twist was played out well, I think if the movie was a bit faster paced it would have worked better. I think it was worth seeing, but i'm really curious to see what changes they made I heard the changed the ending which I think could be really cool.

Repugnant and reprehensible; a new low in torture porn.

[george.schmidt · 1/10 · 16 July 2007]

CAPTIVITY (2007) * Elisha Cuthbert, Daniel Gillies, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Michael Harney, Laz Alonso, Chrysta Olson, Carl Paoli, Trent Broin. (Dir: Roland Joffe)

Repugnant and reprehensible; a new low in torture porn.

The latest to cash in on the new 'torture porn' subgenre of the slasher horror film is perhaps the most repugnant and reprehensibly stupid offering to audiences in some time and that's saying a lot with the high being SAW and the middle-brow HOSTEL on vapors with its last chapter recently.

The film focuses on a famous super model named Jennifer (24's Cuthbert) who is lured to a hot nightclub under false pretenses, is drugged and abducted by a madman who returns her to his dank, creepy home where he plans on torturing her apparently for being a famous person and also someone who may or may not resemble his mother (ah, mommy issues!) It really doesn't matter as the plot for what it's worth is just about subjecting a hottie to one sick display of violent methods at his demented whim (i.e. subjecting her to a smoothie concocted of a Tupperware container of bloody human tissue including an eyeball) for four never-ending, hellish days until she realizes she is not the only one being held captive when she meets another young attractive person named Gary (Gillies), who also is being subjugated to the psycho's physically nauseating acts (i.e. a painful removal of a tooth by pliers). The two eventually are allowed to remain together in one of the labyrinth-like chambers the lunatic has throughout his lair until…oh yeah, 'the twist' – which quite frankly is rather lame and eye-rollingly awful.

Not to mention the fact that an Oscar nominated director is attached to this dreck, Joffe ("THE MISSION" and "THE KILLING FIELDS") should be ashamed even if it is true as the rumor goes that there was many cuts to his work in the process (the film was under brutal scrutiny in a controversial turn of events this year with its publicity of billboards that depicted Cuthbert in its pornographic trappings). Never the less I blame schlock screenwriter Larry Cohen (who collaborated with newbie Joseph Tura) for this mess. Cohen scripted recently "PHONE BOOTH" and "CELLULAR" and is responsible for the cult classic "IT'S ALIVE" but where those three projects offered some originality and genuine tension here there are no likable characters nor any reason to invest time and care into the reason once the twist is revealed. Let's just say sibling rivalry is involved.

What is really a shame is the state of the modern day horror film in its bankablility at the box office and critical acclaim at a discerning low; is it conceivable audiences are just too jaded and laugh at any type of on screen terror since we've been immune to violence for decades upon decades and simply want to be entertained? The horror, the horror….

C*aptivity

[doctorsmoothlove · 1/10 · 23 July 2008]

"Torture-porn" has become immensely popular over the last few years. The Saw franchise has earned nearly 100 million dollars yearly since its debut (back whenever the first one was released). Eli Roth's Hostel series has also been successful but hasn't entered public domain to the extent Saw has. So, with the sudden success of this new brutish sub genre, it isn't surprising that Lionsgate decided to launch its own film Captivity into the torture-porn sub genre. The result is… well horrifying just not in the way intended. Captivity is a vile and worthless piece of cinema whose offensive material is only matched by its woefully inept production values.

The film's protagonist is Jennifer Tree (played by 24's Elisha Cuthbert), a fashion model in spirit of Paris Hilton and the like. She is drugged at a promotional event by an unknown assailant and awakens in a mysterious room. She is exposed to various forms of physical and psychological torture including: drinking a smoothie composed of various facial organs, being drenched with an acidic substance, and being forced to murder a dog. Throughout this entire process, Jennifer is exposed to recorded interviews she has given in which she describes her fears and inhibitions. Her captor also entertains her with home videos of victims (who are brutally tortured). Eventually Jennifer meets another prisoner named Gary with who she bonds. They attempt to escape and reach the captor's vehicle before sleeping gas emerges from the air conditioning vents. They awaken in a torture chair and Gary's molar is forcefully removed by the still-in-shadows villain. After they return, Gary and Jennifer copulate in the darkness and Gary leaves their now-shared cell with a key! Gasp, you guessed it, he is the villain! However, his brother helps him with his hobby. Gary admits to his brother Ben (who is introduced for the first time) that he is falling in love with Jennifer. Ben doesn't like this plan, and Gary kills him.

A few minutes later, the police arrive looking for Jennifer and Gary kills them. Anyone with any understanding of police culture will recognize how poorly these officers act. They allow Gary to leave the room for "tea" and ask to watch a ball game (Maybe police training academies should show this clip on opening day). Anyway, Gary returns to Jennifer's cell and admits he has killed the captors. He leads Jennifer upstairs but she discovers the slain police officers. Gary then chases her because she has discovered his secret and she kills him. She walks out and the film ends.

As you might guess, Captivity is a dark film but not a literary dark. It's literally a dark film. The first half of it shows Jennifer's or Gary's face in total darkness but with a beam of light focusing on her or his face. The background is nearly invisible. There is hardly any accompanying music to alleviate the difficulty of focusing on one point in the image (I found the problem to be magnified when viewing the DVD on an HD television). At least the film brightens in its last half. Furthermore, there is no expository detail provided in the first half of the film. Jennifer is abducted and we are forced to somehow sympathize with her. If only we knew anything about her, maybe (just maybe) we could do that. The only information we are given about her life occurs via the interviews Gary plays for her. We also don't see Gary (or maybe Ben?)as the torturer until later in the film. So our freak show has no reason for wanting to kidnap her.

The film does improve a little in its second half. When Gary appears, Jennifer actually speaks something intelligible but most of the dialog (until the ending standoff) is whispered. You'll be adjusting the volume the entire time to hear what they say. Even though they speak, we still learn nothing about either character. Gary isn't given any reason to torture his victims. His brother Ben is even more poorly developed than he is. Ben appears to tell Gary not to fall in love with Jennifer and then dies. Why is Ben even there? He doesn't add anything meaningful to the plot nor does he foil another character. Also, the police officers are equally unimportant. They, too, are killed off before they can do anything meaningful to the story.

Captivity has been seen as a pseudo-feminist film and also as a critique of pampered female celebrities. While I applaud the effort (if there was one from director Joffé), this film isn't either. Gary is revealed to have several other female victims. He keeps a detailed photographic journal of his endeavors. Perhaps he has a scientific curiosity about how soon women will give into consensual sex but it isn't clear. Jennifer, nevertheless, triumphs over him but the other victims hadn't the same luck. One woman's success doesn't justify several others' deaths. Jennifer's own personal torture doesn't acceptably critique celebrity culture either. Such inhumane treatment isn't effective individual criticism.

When watching Captivity, I couldn't help but notice its similarities to Eyes without a Face. Both films involve a young woman being held against her will and female disfigurement but the Eyes without a Face is an effective horror film. It balances its grisly images with proper character development, chilling music, and an eerie atmosphere. Captivity fails in all the aforementioned ways and the final result is a disgusting and bloody film. Final Consensus: zero stars out of ****

Crap-tivity.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 29 September 2009]

'Torture porn' is one of the most tedious trends to happen in horror for years, but I do love me a bit of Elisha Cuthbert, so into the player went Captivity, another supposedly 'brutal' and 'gruelling' entry in this redundant sub-genre distributed by the usual culprits, Lionsgate Films.

The beautiful, pillow-chested star of TV's 24 plays Jennifer Tree, a successful young model who winds up imprisoned in a grimy, booby-trapped dungeon after her drink is spiked at a nightclub. There she is put through a series of terrifying and disgusting ordeals, before meeting and falling for fellow prisoner Gary, whose suffering helps her find the strength to fight back against their tormentor.

Captivity, from once respected director Roland Joffé, is clearly intended to outdo the Hostels and Saws in terms of shock horror and depravity, and to its credit, it is extremely revolting at times, even managing to make me gag during one scene involving body parts and a food blender; however, once the film leaves familiar torture territory and attempts to introduce a few plot twists, it completely falls apart due to its sheer predictability.

Most viewers should be able to guess what is coming way before it happens, and the film's major revelation is so bloody obvious its hard to believe that even a vacuous, image-obsessed model like Jennifer would be surprised by it (and it's even harder to believe that such a hackneyed script came from seasoned horror veteran Larry Cohen).

As the end credits rolled, I noticed that this film was produced with the help of director Courtney Solomon, the 'genius' responsible for such garbage as Dungeons and Dragons and An American Haunting; seems like he's no longer content to just direct crap films—now he assists others with the making of them too!