Captivity (2007)

Captivity: Directed by Roland Joffé. With Elisha Cuthbert, Daniel Gillies, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Michael Harney. A man and a woman awaken to find themselves trapped in a cellar. As their kidnapper drives them mad, the truth about their horrific abduction is revealed.

“I have to admit that I probably wouldnu0026#39;t have gone to cinema to see this film if it wasnu0026#39;t for all the unneeded controversy surrounding itu0026#39;s marketing campaign in the USA, but I guess thatu0026#39;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 isnu0026#39;t exactly a modern masterpiece; itu0026#39;s certainly a decent little horror thriller, and Iu0026#39;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 isnu0026#39;t all it seems.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis film is obviously catching on to the u0026#39;torture pornu0026#39; film type that seems to be dominating the horror genre recently (films such as Hostel and Saw being at the forefront), but while this doesnu0026#39;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 Iu0026#39;ve seen is the Oscar nominated u0026quot;The Killing Fieldsu0026quot; – and this is nothing like it! (Though Iu0026#39;d say thatu0026#39;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 isnu0026#39;t one of his best attempts; Iu0026#39;d pretty much say he delivered (itu0026#39;s better than Cellular, too). The twist in the middle can be seen coming a mile off, but thatu0026#39;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 Iu0026#39;d rather it be on the short side than feature a bucket load of filler like many films these days do. Overall, I wonu0026#39;t say this is brilliant or a classic; but itu0026#39;s a more than decent horror thriller and I definitely recommend seeing it.”