The Captive Ending Explained, Captive Movie Review
by Subhashree M | Updated Mar 08, 2023
Captive Wiki
Directed by Jerry Jameson and written by Brian Bird and Reinhard Denke, Captive is a 2015 American crime-drama thriller film based on the non-fiction book Unlikely Angel by Ashley Smith. The film tells the true story of Brian Nichols, who escapes from the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta on March 11, 2005 and takes Ashley Smith hostage. David Oyelowo stars as Nichols and Kate Mara as Smith. Filming commenced in October 2013 in North Carolina and the movie was released by Paramount Pictures worldwide on September 18, 2015.
Captive Ending Explained
Director Rupert Wyatt's Captive State may appear to be a large-scale action movie featuring an alien invasion, but it's actually a politically charged film about insurgents battling a totalitarian government, with the extraterrestrial threat serving a secondary role. The film's finale is particularly intriguing, as it implies rather than depicts what occurs, relying on clues scattered throughout the story to convey its message. In this article, we'll examine the conclusion and what it implies for three of the main characters.
In Captive State's finale, we witness William Mulligan journeying to the Safe Zone, where the aliens reside, as their newly appointed Commander. Mulligan, who serves as the antagonist throughout the film, is a police officer who staunchly opposes the uprising and will do anything to safeguard the extraterrestrials. Despite previously promising to defend a prostitute, he orders her execution after discovering she is the leader of the rebellion, even though he had seemingly cared for her.
However, it transpires that Mulligan's actions were part of an elaborate plan, in which he played a critical role as a Trojan Horse, making a significant sacrifice for the insurgency's cause.Captive State's conclusion underscores the idea that appearances can be deceiving. The insurgents recognize the need to ignite a spark, prompting people to resist before it's too late, and are willing to pay the ultimate price to achieve this objective, including Mulligan. The final sequence offers a glimpse into their plan, as Mulligan, now the commissioner, enters the Safe Zone, accompanied by a blue glow that resembles the one exhibited by the suicide bomber at the stadium earlier. Mulligan is the actual mole, equipped with untraceable extraterrestrial technology, effectively serving as a walking bomb and a literal Trojan Horse. The movie leaves the aftermath of this moment up to interpretation, but it implies that Mulligan willingly sacrificed himself to provide humanity with the impetus to fight back against their oppressors.
Captive Movie Review
Captive is a thriller that revolves around a kidnapping plot, containing elements of horror. Unlike a horror film, it delves into the psychological aspect of the story. The movie opens in the summer of 1988, with the release of Cinderella's single "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)". This song prompts the audience to reflect on what they take for granted and moments they should have appreciated more. However,The film follows Lily (Tori Kostic) and her boyfriend Neil (Jairus Carey) as they go camping in Wrightwood, California.
Flashbacks reveal that Lily suffered from an abusive relationship with her alcoholic stepfather (David Lee Hess), which may be why she is running away.When Lily gets separated from Neil, she stumbles upon a mountain home, inhabited by Evan (William Kircher). Evan is ecstatic about Lily's "return," and Lily realizes that Evan believes her to be his missing daughter, Katherine (Meghan Hanako). In order to escape, Lily concedes to Evan's delusions, referring to him as "daddy" and taking on the identity of "Katherine" after finding her diary.Despite the twisted nature of the plot, the mountain home where the majority of the film takes place is depicted beautifully.
The stunning scenery and quiet nature of the location contrasts starkly with the intense psychological drama unfolding inside the home.Overall, Captive is a gripping thriller that keeps the audience on edge throughout. The psychological element of the story is well-executed, and the twist ending will leave viewers in shock. The stunning scenery adds an additional layer to the movie, providing a beautiful backdrop to a dark and twisted tale.Despite her repeated attempts to escape, Lily finds it difficult to break free from Evan's controlling grip due to his overbearing and obsessive behavior.
He becomes like a helicopter parent, pushing her to train for road races and succeed where he had previously failed. Despite her efforts, Lily is unable to escape, and she begins to accept her identity as Katherine, training harder to try and increase her chances of escape. However, as Lily takes on the persona of Katherine, her past and present begin to converge, making it unclear just how much of a captive she really is.
Captive Movie 2021 Ending Explained
The term Delusional Misidentification Syndrome has been used in various media to refer to a range of mental disorders where people hold false beliefs such as thinking their loved ones have been replaced or that they themselves are dead, or that multiple individuals are actually one person in disguise. This concept of multiple people being the same person in disguise is called the Fregoli delusion and forms the basis for the film Captive that I am reviewing today. The plot follows a teenage girl named Lily (Tori Kostic) who runs away with her boyfriend but gets separated from him.
She stumbles upon a remote house and asks to use the phone, but the owner, Evan (William Kircher), mistakenly believes she is his long-lost daughter and insists she stays with him. As the story progresses, Lily finds herself trapped with a man who thinks she's his daughter and will do whatever it takes to keep her from running away again. The movie takes viewers on a strange and intriguing journey from there.Throughout most of Captive, the focus is on the intense dynamic between Lily and Evan, as Lily attempts to find ways to distract Evan in order to escape.
However, Evan always manages to catch her and punish her, which leads to a continuous cycle of Lily trying to go along with his delusion while trying to escape, and Evan becoming increasingly aggressive in his efforts to keep her from leaving. This creates a tension that is both terrifying and poignant. The terror arises from Evan's sincere belief that Lily is his daughter, which leads to explosive outbursts that could result in serious harm. The sadness comes from the fact that Evan is aware of his mental illness, but he does not seek help.
This is evident in scenes where Evan's brother appears, showing that he is aware of his condition, yet he does nothing to try and improve his mental health.Tori Kostic delivers a captivating performance as Lily in Captive, ranging from fearful to shrewd, and eventually to a disconcerting acceptance of her captivity, leading to a surprising finale. As the story progresses, Lily begins to embrace her new life, which is even more unsettling than Evan's actions. The film, however, feels sluggish in the middle, as the tension dissipates just when it should be building. While viewers may yearn for Lily to fight back or find a way to escape, the film hits a lull, making it easy to lose interest.
The flashback sequences in Captive, although intended to highlight the resemblance between the real daughter and Lily, can be jarring and distracting at times, hindering the film's momentum. It leads to an inconsistent pace where the tension fluctuates and needs to be rebuilt. Despite these flaws, Captive is a clever and effective thriller that maximizes its limited resources. The film benefits from strong performances by its leads and a confined setting, compensating for the occasional inconsistencies with a satisfying and earned climax. As an indie thriller, Captive is an excellent choice for those seeking a compelling and entertaining experience.
The Captive Ending Explained - FAQs
"Captive" is a psychological thriller about a teenage girl named Lily who is on the run with her boyfriend but gets separated from him. She stumbles upon a house in the middle of nowhere and asks to use the phone, but the owner, Evan, believes that Lily is his long-lost daughter and insists she stay. Lily finds herself trapped with Evan, who believes she's his daughter, and the movie follows their twisted and tense relationship.
In the climactic scene, Lily pretends to be Evan's daughter and agrees to go with him to the cemetery to visit his real daughter's grave. Once they arrive, Lily reveals that she is not his daughter and tries to make a run for it. Evan chases after her and ends up falling into the grave, where he dies.
Throughout the movie, there are several scenes in which a bird (presumably the same one) appears to be trapped inside the house. The bird can be seen as a symbol for Lily's situation, as she too is trapped inside the house with no way out. In the end, the bird flies away, which can be interpreted as a sign of Lily's freedom