Captive, film review: Solid performances but this plays like a Crimewatch reconstruction

(12A) Jerry Jameson, 97 mins. Starring: David Oyelowo, Kate Mara, Mimi Rogers

David Oyelowo plays Brian Nichols, who escaped an Atlanta courthouse after shooting dead the judge in his trial

There is a moral somewhere in Captive but it is hard to work out what it is. The message seems to be that if you're a meth addict and are held hostage by an escaped killer, you should give him your drugs but not take them yourself – either that or you should read him extracts from The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren, a religious self-help book.

The film is based on the true story of Brian Nichols (played here by David Oyelowo), who escaped an Atlanta courthouse after shooting dead the judge in his trial and hid out in the apartment belonging to Ashley Smith (Kate Mara), a troubled single mother with a drug habit.

Oyelowo, who also produced, and Mara are excellent actors who give solid performances but Captive doesn't work as a thriller in the mould of The Desperate Hours and nor is it convincing as social drama. In its weaker moments, it plays like a Crimewatch reconstruction with a bit of sermonising thrown in for good measure.