Search - Captivity (Unrated Widescreen Edition) on DVD

Chad B. (abrnt1) from CABERY, IL
Reviewed on 1/11/2012...

Complete and utter trash. This film got an awful lot of attention before it's release dues to it's disgusting ad campagign. The ad was quickly pulled and AfterDark Film's founder attempted to use this as a way to get further business. The problem is the film itself is a cheaply made piece of cinematic trash. It's nothing but one cliche after another with no original thought whatsoever. The acting is a joke and the story is boring beyond belief. An attempt to cash in on the the success of films like Sa & Hostel that failed.

The Torture Porn sub-genre of horror has gotten a lot of flak. People hate these types of movies with a passion. FYI people also hated slasher films.

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Matt F.
Reviewed on 2/15/2009...

Solid low budget horror/thriller.

3 of 5 member(s) found this review helpful.

Enough already

N. Durham | Philadelphia, PA | 10/31/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Is anyone else tired of the torture sub-genre that has been all the rage the past couple years? I know I am. The torture sub-genre is the most unoriginal thing to hit the horror genre since the slasher, and with Captivity, it seems more tired and uninspired than ever. Uber-hottie Elisha Cuthbert plays a well known celeb who gets a very rude awakening when she's drugged and kidnapped by an insane and blood thirsty killer, who soon proceeds to torture and maim her over the brink of insanity. Incredibly bloody and vile, Captivity doesn't do anything the least bit original, or try to either, and any twists that abound are pathetic to say the least, not to mention the performances as well. As part of the After Dark Films series, Captivity is undoubtedly the worst, and not even worth seeing for the most die hard of horror fans. I like blood, gore, and horror as much as the next guy, but the torture-horror genre goes more for nauseating gore tricks than scares and shocks. Avoid, and even if you are a die hard fan of all the Saw's and Hostel's, leave this one on the shelf."

Not to be taken seriously?

mrliteral | 11/10/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I have a rather mixed opinion about Captivity. Viewed seriously, it is an awful movie. Elisha Cuthbert plays a model who is drugged, kidnapped, held prisoner and tortured by an unknown assailant. During the first portion of the movie, she is essentially the only character, and she is not a very interesting one. For a long time, we know little about her - and nothing of the motivations of her captor - so it is hard to care about her on anything but the most basic level. Eventually, another prisoner appears, and then the plot twists begin; the only problem is that every twist can be seen coming long before it happens. And considering how "brilliant" the villain is, he leaves a relatively obvious trail for the police to at least suspect him.



On the other hand, while watching Captivity, I began to wonder if it is really just a parody of the so-called "torture porn" genre which has the Saw and Hostel movies as its most prominent members. After all, this movie takes torture porn to its extreme: all torture, no character, with a plot that is minimal (and rather dumb), a conclusion that is just plain silly and a bunch of cliches (like the supposedly dead person who pops back to life).



As a straight horror flick, this rates one star. As a parody, it rates three. I split the difference. This is for die-hard fans of the genre only.

"

What's real?

incubus1 | 11/25/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"A beautiful model seems to have everything...money, fame, a dog. That changes when she's abducted in the middle of a lively club. She wakes up to find she's in a prison of sorts and subjected to horredous acts. Thus is the plot behind Captivity.



Lets be blunt shall we? I bought this because I think Elisha Cuthbert is an amazing talent. Yet somehow, even she couldn't save this film from being sadly predictable with characters as wooden as your dining room table. Jennifer (Elisha's character) has absolutely no backstory, you see her in a photo shoot so you kind of put two and two together to come up with the fact that she's a model. You realize she has a dog that she treats like a human. And, honestly, seems like a genuinely lonely person to me. But it doesn't take more than 15 minutes before she gets taken and the torture begins. With the film moving so swiftly I had no reason to care whether she lived or died.



The acting, on everyone's part, was terrible...like Jessica Simpson herself offered up acting tips to everyone involved. I think that's what disappointed me the most. Watch the special features. None of the actors seem particularly enthused about the film. Heck, listen to Elisha, she, and I quote, says "I did this movie to work with Roland (the director)." There's no emotion in their voices that tells us the enjoyed making the movie or the outcome whatsoever. You know you're in for a stinker when your actors aren't even happy with the movie.



Effects, however, are decent. The acid bath was pretty cool, and seeing someone take a sledgehammer to a person's face will usually get a reaction from me. Past that, the only original torture-esque thing they did was the room that fills up with sand. That, actually, is the only time I felt the terror that should've been coming through the entire film.



Overall, even if you're an Elisha Cuthbert fan, such as myself, it might just be best to skip this over. There's nothing here you haven't seen before, and done much better. There's no surprises, even the ending isn't very surprising. Don't expect much if you do decide to pick it up though."