Movie review: 'Captive'

Fans of the "Oprah" show may remember the real story that inspired the new movie, "Captive."

It starts with a single mom, who is a drug addict, getting literally scared straight after being held hostage.

The action is tense, taut and terrific as actor David Oyelowo plays an escapee holding Kate Mara's character captive in a new movie based on a true story that took place a decade ago in Atlanta.

Oyelowo plays Brian Nichols who has escaped from jail, killing a judge on his way out. Mara's character, Ashley, is a drug addict who's lost custody of her daughter.

Oyelowo's Brian is the father of a baby boy and perhaps that's why the two can find common ground while he holds her hostage.

We are scared for her, because we can't predict what he will do next. In fact, the character himself can't be sure of his next move because he is not in control of his own emotions, which seem to seesaw between his weaker impulses and his better ones.

The movie tries to telegraphing a big message a bit too loudly at times -- a small price to pay for watching great acting. One critic compared the new movie to a cheesy cable television movie but I think that's wrong and unfair.

Oyelowo captivates us just as he did in "Selma," which is a bigger picture and a more complex film, but "Captive" is good, solid entertainment.