Writer: Larry Cohen, Joseph Tura (Screenplay) Larry Cohen (Story)
Starring: Elisha Cuthbert, Daniel Gillies, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Michael Harney, Laz Alonso, Maggie Damon
Plot: Top cover girl and fashion model Jennifer Tree (Cuthbert) has it all – beauty, fame, money and power. Her face appears on covers of hundreds of magazines. At the top of her game, Jennifer is America’s sweetheart. She is loved and adored and sought after. Everyone wants her, but someone out there has been watching and waiting. Someone wants her in the worst way. Out alone at a charity event in Soho, Jennifer is drugged and taken. Held captive in a cell, Jennifer is subjected to a series of terrifying, life-threatening tortures that could only be conceived by a twisted, sadistic mind. It follows the story of one woman who is abducted and tortured, held against her will in a place where days turn into weeks.
Verdict: Thriller without a bite
Story: Captivity shows a girl who gets kidnapped put through tests that are mainly her screaming while the guy does nothing to her. Then we get the twist that works to explain why everything was always an almost. The characters are twisted but in the end it isn’t very original and will fail to truly test your belief. Let’s face it this is not about the story it is about the ‘gore’. (3/10)
Actor Reviews
Elisha Cuthbert: Jennifer is a model who gets kidnapped and put through tortures. Basically she screams a lot, moans a lot and just comes off rather annoying. (3/10)
Daniel Gillies: Gary a fellow captive who helps Jennifer survive but has a twist in his character. Good performance that tries to make something out of very little and is saved by the twist in his character. (6/10)
Pruitt Taylor Vince: Ben the capturer who outs them through the punishments. Doesn’t do enough to make himself as imposing as he should be. (3/10)
Director Review: Roland Joffe – Trying to cash in on the torture porn fans with little success. (3/10)
Horror: Captivity uses torture porn which just isn’t scary, fails to create any jump scares. (4/10)
Thriller: The fact Captivity doesn’t create any emotions to make you care who survives doesn’t help. (3/10)
Settings: The isolation Captivity uses on its captives works well to create good setting for the story. (9/10)
Special Effects: In what should be special effects heavy this fails to use them well. (5/10)
Suggestion: Don’t bother watching this it is just cashing in on a genre that never really took off. (Avoid)
Best Part: Because the twist save it from being awful the twist is the best part.
Worst Part: The rest.
Believability: Theoretical this could happen. (4/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $10,921,200
Budget: $17 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes
Tagline: Time is running out.
Trivia:The film went through re-shoots to turn it from a thriller into a torture/horror.
Overall: Dreadful Horror
Rating