Lesson 154: Captive State – Yeah, It Bugged Us Too

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, get a bit sneaky with this week’s review of Captive State (2019). Written and directed by Rupert Wyatt, the film stars John Goodman, Ashton Sanders, Jonathan Majors, Machine Gun Kelly, and Vera Farmiga. Its depiction of a world held captive by aggressive, insect-like aliens hews closely to other films within the genre while also attempting to differentiate itself as a think-piece on social stratification and themes of insurgency against an oppressive government.

In a landscape full of enemies both foreign and domestic, what chance does one have to rise up and effect change? And can the audience hang in long enough to care about the outcome? Listen in to find out what we thought of the film…