3 Short Paragraphs: Captive State

2019, Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) -- download

Paranoia & Totalitarian State are one flavour of the Alien Invasion trope, one that more than a little hints of our current condition. And by our, I really only mean the American experience and I only really lay some claim to it, because no matter how much we Canadians are removed from what is going on down there, it affects us on a daily basis, influencing and corrupting. In Captive State the alien invasion was quick, deadly and led to complete surrender, by the entire world. Nine years later, all pretense of rebellion has been crushed and the planet lives under a fictional benevolent condition, while much of the world suffers.

We get a pair of characters through which to experience this world: Gabriel (Ashton Sanders, Moonlight), brother of the leader of the failed insurrection and Mulligan (John Goodman), once a police officer, but now an investigator for the aliens, referred to as The Legislators. He is not convinced the insurrection is dead, and continues to investigate its existence, even when warned off by his fellow collaborators. Meanwhile, Gabriel hunts for meaning and gets drawn back into his brother's legacy.

This was not a hot action movie, but it did not shy away from action. If anything, this reminded me of a Cold War movie, one set behind the Berlin Wall, where insurrectionists plan actions and try to outrun and foil the police forces staffed by their own fellow citizens. The rundown nature of a world where collaborators are the elite and the rest of us make do, just adds to this feel. I thought about piles of garbage everywhere, the empty shelves in stores and the humiliating jobs people have to take in order to live, and of course, the continuous surveillance by the police. We are told that the only way to end this, is to stand up, to light a match and ignite the fire that will inspire the world to fight against their unjust masters. I only hope the American people understand the metaphor and take it to  the heart.