Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- earnest
- claustrophobic
- true crime night
- faith based viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the committed performances and compelling real-life premise weakened by a thin, sermon-heavy script that functions as promotion for The Purpose Driven Life.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story recreates Brian Nichols's 2005 courthouse escape, murders, manhunt, and hostage-taking from real events.
Ashley Smith's apartment becomes the primary setting for her tense encounter with the armed fugitive Brian Nichols.
Smith reads The Purpose Driven Life aloud while Nichols searches for meaning and possible redemption.
The hostage and fugitive are portrayed as two people confronting addiction, violence, guilt, and the possibility of transformation.
Films like Captive, and why
The Negotiator
shared true-crime dramatization, hostage crisis, moral confrontation, and faith-centered redemption
The Next Three Days
shared crime drama intensity, real-world institutional pressure, and conflicted central characters
A Life Less Ordinary
shared confined hostage dynamic, psychological tension, and redemptive character arc
The Shack
shared faith-inflected true-crime drama and focus on transformation after violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Jerry Jameson
- Release Date
- 2015-09-17
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 5.6 / 10 (296)
Cast
- Kate Mara
- David Oyelowo
- Michael Kenneth Williams
- Mimi Rogers
- Leonor Varela
- E. Roger Mitchell
- Kevin J. O'Connor
- Matt Lowe
- Jessica Oyelowo
- J. Karen Thomas
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Captive about?
- A recovering single mother held hostage by a murderous fugitive finds an unexpected path toward survival and redemption through shared spiritual reflection.
- What is Captive like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Captive as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Captive violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Captive as moderate.
- What did critics think of Captive?
- Critics broadly found the committed performances and compelling real-life premise weakened by a thin, sermon-heavy script that functions as promotion for The Purpose Driven Life.
- Which films are like Captive?
- Films with a similar feel include The Negotiator, The Next Three Days, A Life Less Ordinary, and The Shack.
- How long is Captive?
- Captive runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Captive?
- In United States, Captive is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
