Captivity (2007)

Captivity hit the headlines earlier in the year when the billboards for the film were withdrawn in New York and LA after complaints, all ‘good publicity’ for the movie the producers no doubt thought, how wrong they were.Three weeks after it’s release it had only pulled in a miserable $3.6M, and registered just 8% on Rotten Tomatoes, oh dear, things aren’t looking good as I settle down to view the latest “torture-porn” flick vomited out of Hollywood.

Directed by “acclaimed director” Roland Joffe, he of “The Killing Fields” and “Super Mario Brothers”, which he likes to omit from his c.v. the question was, is this as bad as people say? Well in all honesty, yes it’s a very poor film, but it’s biggest crime is that it’s so dull. The “Saw” and “Hostel” film franchises are pretty average to poor horror movies but at least they’re fairly interesting, the first hour of this film was akin to watching paint dry, things do pick up a little towards the end but by then you’ve gone past caring.

The only plus point I can muster from this film is the eye candy that is Elisha Cuthbert, great to look at in a leather dress, but this doesn’t disguise the fact that she still can’t act for toffee. Another major failing of the film is that for a horror/thriller it is neither suspenseful nor scary. The film just about fails on all levels really.


*****