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Captive State

Captive State

10 years ago, they took our planet. Today, we take it back!

2019109 minPG-13Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Director
Rupert Wyatt
Starring
John Goodman, Ashton Sanders, Jonathan Majors, Vera Farmiga

Nearly a decade after occupation by an extraterrestrial force, the lives of a Chicago neighborhood on both sides of the conflict are explored. In a working-class Chicago neighborhood occupied by an alien force for nine years, increased surveillance and the restriction of civil rights have given rise to an authoritarian system -- and dissent among the populace.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Captive State?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Captive State to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Captive State?

Captive State earns 10 badges, led by Top 10% in Sci-Fi and Crowd Pleaser.

Show 2 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Captive State worth watching?

Captive State's Midcredits score is the 51st percentile of all films, from 87K ratings across 6 sources. 59% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

51st percentile

Better received than 51% of films

90th percentile among Sci-Fi51st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)36th
Approval (how many liked it)65th

57 /100

36th percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Sci-Fi37th percentile among 2010s

Critics 54 · Audience 58

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

59% liked it

65th percentile of all films

91st percentile among Sci-Fi65th percentile among 2010s
59% rated it 7–1041% rated it 1–6

Critics 42% · Audience 40%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 2 noms overall

96th percentile

87K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Sci-Fi96th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 39% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$25M
Opening weekend$3.1M
Domestic gross$6M
Worldwide gross$8.8M

Returned 0.4× its budget — 81st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a slow-burn political thriller about resistance against an alien occupation, not a traditional action sci-fi movie.

Fans praised

  • ground-level look at an alien occupation as political-espionage thriller
  • strong performance by John Goodman with ambiguous moral depth
  • dark, immersive atmosphere of oppression and surveillance

Detractors panned

  • unfocused structure with too many characters and no clear protagonist
  • lack of character development and emotional investment
  • jumbled, confusing plot with little narrative clarity

What stands out

ActingDivisive72

John Goodman's performance praised as strong and nuanced; other cast competent but supporting

OriginalityDivisive70

refreshingly original approach to alien invasion as resistance drama

AtmosphereDivisive70

dark, grim, immersive world of oppression and surveillance

TensionDivisive50

uneven; some suspenseful sequences but overall lacking sustained thrills

Plot and storyDivisive45

conceptually interesting but messy, confusing, and hard to follow

Emotional impactDivisive40

low emotional investment due to weak character attachment

CharactersDivisive35

weakly developed, too many characters with little depth or arc

PacingDivisive35

slow, disjointed, with long stretches without action or payoff

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 42 points higher than men.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Under-30s

Under-30s scored it 39 points higher than over-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 43 points higher than critics.

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 39 points higher than non-US viewers.

Watch experience

What is Captive State like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its dystopian premise completely straight, treating the occupation as a grim reality without irony.
The rideThe oppressive occupation and resistance planning sustain tension, with dread throughout, likely culminating in a climactic confrontation.
StructureThe story is told chronologically, beginning with the invasion prologue and then moving forward nine years.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

HopefulRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe conclusion that the resistance's long game succeeded leaves a hopeful and stirring aftertaste.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% (this title) · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Oppressive state: A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows a resistance cell fighting an alien occupation, with a police collaborator secretly working to undermine the regime from within.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% (this title) · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Oppression · 4% of filmsCommunity · 14% of films: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Betrayal · 5% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines systemic domination by an extraterrestrial regime and the moral choices of collaboration versus resistance within a community.
StanceThe film questions the costs and moralities of collaboration versus resistance without prescribing a clear answer, and shifts between perspectives like a collaborator cop and a dissident.

The world

Near futureUrbanDomesticInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Rob Simonsen
Settingoccupied Chicago nearly a decade after an alien invasion, with a resistance underground
MusicRob Simonsen's score combines electronic textures with orchestral elements to underscore the tension of the occupation.

Content guide

Is Captive State okay for kids?

PG-13

Captive State is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action, some sexual content, brief language and drug material” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (59/100), sexual content at mild (32/100), language at moderate (44/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (36/100) and frightening material at moderate (54/100). Overall it is heavier than 64% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 10 other countries
  • UK15
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • Ireland15A
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil14
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • Russia16+
  • Spain12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 40% of all filmsHeavier than 64% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 68%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 58%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 56%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 69%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 63%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 68% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Captive State have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Captive State?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

John Goodman
as William Mulligan
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ashton Sanders
as Gabriel Drummond
Jonathan Majors
as Rafe Drummond
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Vera Farmiga
as Jane Doe
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kevin Dunn
as Commissioner Eugene Igoe
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Kevin J. O'Connor
as Kermode
Alan Ruck
as Charles Rittenhouse
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Ben Daniels
as Daniel
James Ransone
as Patrick Ellison
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
D.B. Sweeney
as Levitt
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Captive State?

Movies like Captive State include They Live (1988), Fahrenheit 451 (2018) and War of the Worlds (2005). Of the 12 closest matches, half are films set in the near future, and several are conspiracy thrillers.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its world: dystopian. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Captive State?

980 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: conspiracy thriller. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.