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Captivity
Metascore
24 out of 100

Generally unfavorable - based on 17 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 17
  3. Negative: 12 out of 17
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  1. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Luke Y. Thompson
    70
    Roland Joffé creates a visually interesting and aurally unsettling vibe, and the story from B-movie maestro Larry Cohen keeps it simple.
  2. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    50
    Quite possibly the final word on a much-maligned genre.
  3. Variety
    Reviewed by: Joe Leydon
    50
    Destined to be better remembered for its grisly billboard imagery than for its relatively tame torture-porn tropes, Captivity is a thoroughly nasty piece of work that nonetheless earns credit for generating modest suspense after a predictable but effective plot twist around the 50-minute mark.
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    42
    Roland Joffé brings an artful video-grunge look, and not much else, to this "Saw" clone.
  5. Empire
    Reviewed by: Kim Newman
    40
    Torture junkies should remember it's only four months to Saw IV -- so you can afford to avoid Captivity.
  6. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Felix Vasques Jr.
    30
    A terrible rehash of better torture genre exploitation, with none of the charm.
  7. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Jeannette Catsoulis
    30
    The movie has been thoroughly eclipsed by "Captivity" the marketing.
  8. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Andrea Gronvall
    30
    It's not scary because not one second is believable.
  9. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Rocco Landesman
    25
    Captivity is torture porn without the sex. Cuthbert squirms, screams, weeps and pleads for her life with great conviction. Slick, sick sleaze.
  10. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    25
    A wan, derivative entry in the torture-porn cycle.
  11. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Glenn Kenny
    25
    Thoroughly irritating little film.
  12. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Jason Anderson
    25
    A lurid thriller that marks a new career low for both director Roland Joffé (The Killing Fields, The Mission) and co-screenwriter Larry Cohen (Phone Booth, It's Alive).
  13. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    25
    In a genre where killers love to play head games, it's a clever idea (Cohen's?) to have this one remain mute, but that leaves Cuthbert to carry much of the psychological load, and there's no substance to her character, apart from the suggestion that she's being punished for her vanity.
  14. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Frank Scheck
    20
    The end result doesn't even satisfy on its own sleazy terms. Not only does it lack the satirical nihilism of the "Hostel" films or the admittedly clever torture machinations of the "Saw" series, it doesn't even provide its target young male audience with the requisite nudity.
  15. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Abele
    20
    It's the movie business equivalent of encountering someone you once knew begging for money on the street.
  16. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    0
    If there is another challenger for worst entry of 2007, I don't want to see it.
  17. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    0
    Captivity is the kind of film that gives torture porn a bad name.
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User Reviews

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User Score
4.1 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 59 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 2 out of 7
  1. KeithJ
    5
    I think the movie has a lot of material to mine, most of which it doesn't mine. The negative professional reviews are people piling on due to complaints it promotes violence against women. The movie does not suck the way they claim, it's political. That said, I think the movie pulls too many punches. It goes to the limit but it doesn't cross the limit ... and at the end, it pulls back even from that. It's as if they lost their nerve halfway through. There is a deep vein of darkness and fear inside us that this movie could have mined, but instead, it just took a core sample.… Full Review »
  2. JaredC.
    10
    Very good movie. Way unexpected.
  3. RichardF.
    1
    This movies goes for pure shock value and fails on all levels. A must miss.
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