Earth is Under Alien Rule in the Interesting Sci-Fi Thriller "Captive State"

   
    A handful of movies make their way onto the big screen this week, one of them being the post-apocalyptic tale Captive State. Set in a Chicago neighborhood nearly a decade after an occupation by an extra-terrestrial force, Captive State explores the lives on both sides of the conflict - the collaborators and dissidents. When the trailers first came out for this movie, I was immediately intrigued. A grounded sci-fi/post-apocalyptic story is right in my wheelhouse. I was looking forward to this movie, and after seeing it I think I psyched myself up too much, because ultimately it was a let-down. That's not to say the movie isn't good or that no one will enjoy it. I was entertained throughout the entire run time, however there were narrative choices, among a few other issues, that really made Captive State more of a bummer than a triumph.

   The biggest issue with the movie, I think, is that it's narratively all over the place. It starts out with a central character in Gabriel Drummond (Ashton Sanders), the younger brother of resistance leader Rafe Drummond (Jonathan Majors), yet about twenty minutes in the story shifts and completely forgets about Gabriel. The whole narrative hinges on this plot to ignite the fires of resistance, and as that plot plays out, the narrative forgets about Gabriel for a decent span, so much so that when it finally gets back to him, I was like "oh yeah, this guy is in the movie." The story and its execution is ambitious, but overall I don't think it sticks the landing. There are twists and turns that don't make sense, a big reveal that feels like it should be bigger than it is portrayed to be, and the ending was confusing and lackluster when I think it was supposed to be inspiring. 

    The initial concept was interesting, and I found myself caught up in the world that was created on screen. The overall production was great, the aliens that colonize Earth are really creepy and mysterious, and the established relationship between the humans and the aliens as forms of governmental bodies was extremely intriguing. I wanted to know more about what went on behind the scenes, how the aliens were running things, and less about a plot to overthrow them that was narratively underdeveloped. There were moments where the lighting was just really dark and it made it hard to see what was happening, but for the most part this was a movie that was, at least, fun to look at. The action that takes place, and some of the more creative ideas presented in the movie, were entertaining, but ultimately served a plot that was unfortunately undercooked.

   I saw so much potential in this movie, and I wanted more than what I got. That being said, what I got wasn't all bad. Like I said, the world of the film is really interesting and entertaining, I found the acting to be pretty good; you would think with a presence like John Goodman that you just can't go wrong. Goodman plays a detective that is hunting the resistance and he's arguably the best part of the film. When all is said and done, Captive State was underwhelming yet serviceable. If you're a fan of sci-fi flicks and you're interested in seeing this one, check it out--at least as a matinee.