Captive State is a film that I went back and saw a second time because there was so much I missed the first time around. Many reviewers focused on the film as an allegory about authoritarianism but missed the core of what the narrative was really all about-a Twilight Zone-like sci-fi thriller with a powerful twist ending. If you don't realize that there's a twist ending involved here, much of the story will appear quite convoluted--the pronouncement in fact of many reviewers who simply couldn't follow a good deal of the plot. I'm going to go ahead and reveal what the twist is all about here so if you haven't seen the film, you might wait until you do and then read this review.

Some of you might recall the film Alien Nation or the TV series of the same name. Captive State is sort of a reverse Alien Nation-instead of the aliens arriving on earth and ending up as a discriminated minority, the aliens here immediately crush the military might of all the countries on earth and set themselves up as a group of deadly overseers, much akin to the Nazi occupiers in Vichy France during World War II.

The story is set in Chicago in the year 2027, nine years after the alien invasion. The aliens have constructed a "closed zone" in the middle of the city and exist way underground, rarely making an appearance on earth's surface (the aliens look like giant, powerful insects who communicate by using a clicking sound which has been utilized in a host of other past sci-fi productions featuring insect-like aliens).

Just as in Vichy France, the populace is ruled by a group of collaborators, who enforce the rules of the aliens who have dubbed themselves "legislators." The aliens have outlawed all digital communication, so the media utilized are reminiscent of the kind of analog communication that went on in the 70s and 80s, prior to the advent of smart phones and the internet (for example, pictures are taken with Polaroid cameras).

One of the protagonists, Gabriel (Ashton Sanders),works on a factory that saves the digital data for the aliens but destroys the chips and media card the data is stored on. The part of Gabriel is a weak one and notably at a certain point in the film, the character disappears for twenty minutes and you wonder what happened to him. Suffice it to say, Gabriel is protected by a former police detective and now head of internal security for the collaborators, William Mulligan (played by a taciturn but rather good John Goodman). Mulligan proves to be the most interesting character in the film. He's trying to protect the rebellious Gabriel from falling afoul of alien rule as Mulligan was friends with Gabriel's father, also a detective prior to the invasion.

The real bulk of the action concerns a conspiracy of rebels who communicate with one another often by placing print ads in newspapers. They refer to a "Number One," the leader of the group who is to somehow become unwittingly the alien's trusted agent and set off a bomb while welcomed into their lair. Most of the conspirators are unaware who Number One is. The twist is that Mulligan, who appears to be the #1 collaborator, is actually the #1 conspirator, entrusted with setting off the bomb deep in alien headquarters underground.

A good part of the film involves the conspiracy to set off a bomb at Soldier field, where a collaborator unity rally is being held. The allegorical nature of the story is made clear during this rally where a complacent public is depicted as submissive, lulled into believing the aliens have brought unity to the planet.

This is where the film loses focus--because if you don't realize that the conspirators are all on a suicide mission and their plan is designed to fail, you will find a good deal of what happens before you, confusing (to put it mildly). It's Mulligan who is made to look good as he seemingly uncovers the conspiracy and eliminates it-all designed to impress the aliens, who put him in charge as Acting Commissioner at the surprising climax. Since the Commissioner is the only one allowed to enter the Closed Zone, Mulligan is seen at film's entry headed down into the alien lair, about to set off his bomb.

Captive State has a great twist ending but might have worked better as a one hour cable TV episode as part of a sci-fi series. In the end, the second act machinations are too convoluted and confusing with the entire plot involving the conspiracy (which turns out to be a staged set-up) proving to be not so exciting with rather predictable scenes of annihilation by alien entities who have come out of their cocoon deep underground.

Captive State is filled with clues throughout to suggest things aren't really what they seem. Look for the "trojan horse" illustration on the wall at the prostitute's home. Also note that Mulligan tells Gabriel right before his final mission, that "maybe" the plan all along, was DESIGNED to fail. And finally, traces of the bomb (made out of phosphorescent material) are seen flashing briefly on Mulligan's back right before he goes into the contraption that sends him into the belly of the beast.

Captive State is certainly worth a look (or even a second one),despite a poorly edited and drawn out second Act, since the climax wields a powerful punch.

It's 9 years after an alien invasion. Many cities have underground alien sections as they drain the earth's resources. The world's governments have surrendered to alien control. Gabriel Drummond is trying to survive and escape out of walled-off Chicago. His parents were killed at the outbreak of the invasion and his older brother Rafe was lost participating in an insurgent attack. William Mulligan (John Goodman) was his father's police partner and is tracking the insurgency for the alien overlords.

This is pretty good sci-fi for a lesser budget fare. It lacks the big action or extensive CGI. The alien design is a little silly with the porcupine. I expected going underground to see the alien world but the movie ends a little abruptly. It's like the movie ran out of money before running into some heavy CGI scenes. The leads are fine and Goodman is good once again. This movie is definitely punching above its weight.

After a massive alien attack, mankind surrenders to avoid annihilation. Nine years later, the civilization is divided in collaborators and resistance force while the aliens explore and deplete the underground of Earth.

"Captive State" is a bleak, messy and overrated sci-fi without action film. The low-budget associated to a terrible screenplay make a boring but intriguing film. The invasion is presented in fast pace and then the alien race move underground to avoid the expensive use of special effects. The one-dimension characters are not well developed and the viewer spends 1h 49 min running time expecting something to happen but even the conclusion is disappointing. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "A Rebelião" ("The Rebellion")