Captive (2023) Review – A Mismatched and Boring Vampire Slasher
Captive: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A tonally disjointed and frequently dull vampire thriller that fails to justify its existence or its oddly aged cast. Captive suffers from a fundamental identity crisis, attempting to apply a “teen slasher” template to a group of middle-aged actors whose characters’ juvenile behaviour feels embarrassing rather than relatable. While Scout Taylor-Compton provides a needed spark of energy and professional competence, she is ultimately anchored by a paper-thin plot that prioritises mundane “stoner” filler over actual suspense or world-building. The film lacks the visceral thrills of a traditional horror or the romantic depth of a modern vampire drama, resulting in a milquetoast experience that feels both unadventurous and uninspired. It is a 2 star effort that works as undemanding background noise but will likely leave most viewers wanting something with more bite and better pacing.
Details: Director: Savvas Christou | Cast: Scout Taylor-Compton, Brendan Fehr, Michael Lovato, Tasie Lawrence | Runtime: 1h 29m | Release Date: 2023
Best for: Viewers looking for a low-stakes sleepover horror and those who enjoy seeing genre regulars like Scout Taylor-Compton in new roles.
Worth noting: Despite the “vampire” branding, the film spends a significant portion of its runtime on domestic drama and stoner tropes before introducing any actual supernatural conflict.
Where to Watch: Tubi (Free)
Rating: 2/5 Stars
(Solid lead performance, but let down by an inappropriate cast age, a boring script, and lacklustre scares.)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we will be reviewing Tubi Original vampire horror movie Captive from 2023.
Highlights
Middle-aged stoners in a horror movie… yay!
Captive follows a group of 30-something stoners as they break into a mansion to party. Bored with her mundane routine of getting high, watching TV, and having sex, Ashley (Scout Taylor-Compton) agrees to join her friends as they spend a weekend in an empty house. While there, they discover a person chained up in the basement. But not just any ordinary person – a person with a deep dark secret and a set of hidden fangs.
This is fairly routine stuff for a horror movie. Despite following the rather ridiculous premise of a group of friends breaking into someone’s house while they are away purely so that they can party, Captive plays out much like every other teen horror you have ever seen. People drink, they get high, they discover something spooky and then things get gory. Only, these aren’t teens; these are people in their mid to late thirties which brings me on to my first complaint.
The premise feels awkward
Captive‘s premise feels awkward from the very get-go. From the first conversation that takes place about getting high and watching TV right through to the way the movie ends. This entire thing feels like a bunch of people who are way too old to be doing the things they are doing. They are acting like a bunch of teens. The cast of Captive should have been way younger, early to mid-20s at the most.
Can we stop with the stoner horror, as well? Practically every movie I have watched recently holds out that olive branch, desperately hoping to connect with that specific audience. Horror isn’t really counterculture anymore and neither is weed; both are ridiculously mainstream.
“This entire thing feels like a bunch of people who are way too old to be doing the things they are doing acting like a bunch of teens. The cast should have been way younger.”
I would love to see horror writers have to think of different reasons for why people are spending time together other than “getting high”. One dude in this movie whips out a bag of weed on numerous occasions to a chorus of fist bumps and hollering. It’s frat boy stuff with extra lines under the eyes and less hair. Again, cringe.
Just rather boring
Aside from all of that, this is just a really boring horror movie. The setup seems, at the least, to offer a few interesting kills and some potentially fun violence but the movie pushes it aside for the majority of its length. Instead choosing to craft a paper-thin story about vampiric transformation and love in your mid-30s. It’s all incredibly tame and incredibly unadventurous. Captive takes no risks at all outside of its clearly inappropriately aged cast.
It’s milquetoast horror with a ton of wasted, dead air. Far more keen to show someone cooking breakfast and getting high than actually trying to entertain the viewer. Things do, eventually, explode in a climax of violence and poorly rendered CG blood, as the movie hopelessly attempts to draw the viewer back in with a more high-octane final 15 minutes. But by the time that happens, only the most ardent of vampire fans will still be retaining any interest in the movie at all.
“Captive is like the result of a night of disappointing lovemaking between Twilight and the Maroon 5 song She Will Be Loved, all while Blade watches on in the background.”
Which brings me onto my next point, I really don’t know who this movie is aimed at. It has something of a sleepover horror feel which suggests it may be aimed at teens. But if that is the case, why didn’t you go with a younger cast? People that teens could relate to rather than people that are the age of their parents. I don’t get it. Captive is like the result of a night of disappointing lovemaking between Twilight and the Maroon 5 song “She Will Be Loved”, all while Blade watches on in the background rubbing his nipples. It’s just weird, boring, and strangely disconnected.
At least Scout Taylor-Compton is here
The cast here is working under some strange conditions. There’s a distinct feeling of “how do you do, fellow kids?”. This undermines the performances somewhat. It’s weird to see Michael Lovato, receding hairline, heavy crow’s feet and all, pouting repeatedly and acting like a teenager. It feels very off.
Scout Taylor-Compton is a highlight as Ashley. Again, she feels like she is too old to be acting the way her character does. It undermines the entire movie’s premise a bit because her issues feel more like a mid-life crisis than a real problem. She does a great job, though. Taylor-Compton has always been an enthusiastic and confident performer. She’s a bit of a horror mainstay as well so has experience in the genre. It’s always fun to see women kicking ass in horror movies and she definitely fits the part, despite the fact that she is soooo tiny.
Lovato, as Ashley’s boyfriend Luke, pretty much pouts for the entire movie. He bring nothing to the film at all. I suspect that is more down to the writing than anything. Tasie Lawrence, as Crystal, is way too enthusiastic and every other line is delivered like she is talking to preschoolers. She really needs to dial things back a little. Christina Robinson has a brief part and does fine in a bit of a “mean girls” style role. It was nice to see someone age-appropriate in the movie. Wonder if she lied about her age to get the part?
“The mid-30s cast feels utterly out of place for a group of stoners breaking into a mansion to party. It is extremely boring and just extremely meh.”
Cody Frank is utterly unconvincing as vampire Drake. His small frame, receding hairline, and soft, nervous delivery doesn’t support the part of a strong, handsome vampire. He feels awkward and his attempts to seem suave and mysterious actually come across as him looking confused and angry.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- Scout Taylor-Compton: A consistently enthusiastic performer who makes her character likable despite the stilted dialogue and awkward premise.
- Professional Visuals: The film looks relatively clean and well-produced for a Tubi Original, avoiding the “cheap” digital look of many similar budget horrors.
- Final Act Energy: The last fifteen minutes finally introduce some much-needed violence and pace, even if it is a little too late to save the film.
The Bad
- Age Mismatch: The decision to have people in their late 30s act like rowdy teenagers creates a persistent sense of “cringe” that undermines the drama.
- Sluggish Pacing: Far too much time is wasted on scenes of people getting high or cooking breakfast rather than developing the central vampire threat.
- Weak Antagonist: Cody Frank’s portrayal of the vampire lacks the suaveness or physical presence required to make the character a credible threat.
The Ugly: The Stoner Tropes. The film relies so heavily on “weed culture” to connect with its audience that it feels dated and lazy rather than authentic or edgy.
Should You Watch Captive?
Only if you have already exhausted the better vampire options on Tubi. It is a 2 star film that is harmlessly mediocre but ultimately forgettable. While it’s not physically painful to sit through, the combination of a boring middle act and a mismatched cast makes it a hard sell for anyone looking for a genuine horror thrill. It’s “extremely meh” at best.
Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight
Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.
A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.
Support the Site Knockout Horror is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Basically, if you click a link to rent or buy a movie, we may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the lights on and the nightmares coming. Don't worry, we will never recommend a movie purely to generate clicks. If it's bad, we will tell you.
Disclaimer: Images, posters, and video stills used in this review are the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included here for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and review under fair use. Knockout Horror makes no claim of ownership and encourages readers to support the official release of all films discussed.
