Captive State

Ashton Sanders

Overview

Co-writer/director Rupert Wyatt's science fiction crime thriller unfolds in the dystopic aftermath of an alien occupation. A Chicago police officer (John Goodman) sees through the aliens' false rhetoric of peaceful coexistence and begins recruiting formidable individuals (Ashton Sanders) to form Phoenix: an armed rebel group that aims to unite humanity against its common foe.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/11/2019
UPC:	0191329050897
Original Release:	2019
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Universal Studios
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:50:00

Special Features

Igniting a War; Building the World of Captive State; Feature Commentary with Director/Producer/Co-Writer Rupert Wyatt and Producer David Crockett

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ashton Sanders	Gabriel Drummond
Machine Gun Kelly	Actor
James Ransone	Patrick Ellison
Alan Ruck	Charles Rittenhouse
Madeline Brewer	Rula
Kevin J. O'Connor	Kermode
Caitlin Ewald	Anita
Elena Marisa Flores	Flores
Rene L. Moreno	Courier
Patrese McClain	Flora
Michael Franck	Helicopter Pilot
Ta'Rhonda M. Jones	Actor,Barbosa,Lead Hunter
Chike Johnson	John
Megan Brooke Long	Jean Hayes
Chronicle Wilchrist Ganawah	Posner
Alex Henderson	Theo
Lucien Cambric	Teenager
KiKi Layne	Carrie
Avery Lee	Medic
Bries Vannon	Crystal Billy
Jason Bradley	Aide
James Hatten	Interrogator
Christian Isely	Actor
Laura T. Fisher	Legislator Translator
Steven P. Herson	Neighbor
Marc Grapey	Mayor Ed Lee
Eric Lynch	Morgue Attendant,Morgue Attendant
Kelly Cole	Pirate DJ
Danny Goldring	Prison Guard
Julius Mercer	Security Guard (Soldier Field)
David J. Height	Soldier Field MC
Robert Shannon	Skinny Black Marketeer
Wendi Weber	Girl In Data Center
Mickey O'Sullivan	Surveillance Specialist
Ronald Lewis Conner, Jr.	Surveillance Tech
Jane Baxter Miller	Censor
Matthew Lucki	Beat Cop
Cyrus Alexander	Embed Translator
Ilyssa Fradin	Human Translator
Linsey Page Morton	Hysterical Woman
Marcos Barnes	Circle Guy
Megan Murphy	Soldier Field Singer
John Brady	Actor
Gregory Nicotero	Hunter Puppeteer
Zach Thomas	Young Gabriel
Collin Woldt	15-Year-Old Rafe
Lizzy Leigh	Actor
Lawrence Grimm	Evan Hayes
Otis Winston	Legislator
Maho Honda	News Anchor
Jonathan Majors	Rafe Drummond
Evan Hayes	Lawrence Grimm
José García	Nark
Michael Collins	Robert Watts

Technical Credits

Rupert Wyatt

Erica Beeney

Ashton Sanders	Director
Alan Ruck	Director
Jonathan Majors	Director
James Ransone	Director
Adam Simon	Producer,Executive Producer
Rupert Wyatt	Producer,Screenwriter,Director
Erica Beeney	Screenwriter
David Crockett	Producer
Jonathan King	Executive Producer
Jeff Skoll	Executive Producer
Christal Karge	Casting
Steven Visscher	Sound Editor
Sara Stern	Sound Editor
Allan Zaleski	Sound Editor
Ron Bochar	Sound Editor

Editorial Reviews

Captive State provides a fresh outlook on the 'aliens take over the Earth' genre. In this go-around, the aliens are well-established on the planet, and the oppressed Earthlings are divided as they try to figure out whether they're comfortable living under alien rule or want to fight back to regain the version of their world that they remember. Rather than go the spectacular route, writer/director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Gambler) breathes dramatic life into the tired trope. The protagonists seem to struggle amongst themselves just as much as they do against their oppressors as Wyatt and co-writer Erica Beeney spin a yarn of alien colonization that takes place for many years in downtown Chicago, putting things in perspective for an audience that has not experienced a literal takeover of their world. Regardless, the message communicated is that fighting for your beliefs and against oppression is always a necessary and noble stand to take. Special effects can potentially ruin a picture like this, but rather than aim for grandiose, Captive State goes minimalistic, and yet it impresses. The hostile and prickly aliens are known as "legislators" and rule the Earth. They are physically frightening with technological capabilities light years beyond those of humans. The sparse but well-executed special effects add to an already rich plot and showcase plausible, everyday difficulties of cohabitating with aliens. The disjointed pacing adds to the terse action scenes when Captive State breaks out of its densely written backstory. Action fans may be kept waiting a little too long, but eventually the audience takes a deep dive into what it would really be like for humans to relate to each other during a very dividing time. This provides the backbone that holds the story together. William Mulligan (John Goodman) channels some darkness from way back in the Barton Fink days. A Chicago Police Department official on the side of the collaborators, he wants to recruit people to help the aliens suppress any rebellion, and he is rewarded for it. Trying to fully comprehend his motivations could take the entire movie, which is worth watching if only to see what he'll do next. Gabriel Drummond (Ashton Sanders) delivers an equally outstanding performance as a conflicted human trying to live in peace and avoid the fighting. But as the younger brother of legendary insurgent Rafe (Jonathan Majors), he is a prime target for joining the insurgents or being pumped for inside intelligence about the movement. A stand-alone story, there is plenty of dystopian world takeover to be explored should Captive State choose to branch out into sequels. Meanwhile, all the important plot loops are closed tightly enough to satisfy most spectators. The film will resonate with people who are more interested in plot development than special effects.