Are You Taking Him Seriously Yet?

I think we can all agree that we've all been kind of worried about Ryan Reynolds. He seems to be permanently stuck on the B-List. Remember R.I.P.D. or Turbo or Green Lantern? No? That's because all those Reynolds-led movies tanked at the box office. He went from being one of Hollywood's most in-demand stars to being Blake Lively's favorite accessory. His career has needed some intense life breathed into it. We're talking far beyond CPR here. Thankfully, Reynolds is far from giving up yet. He's at least managed scored a spot at the Cannes Film Festival and the trailer for The Captive actually looks like he might deserve it.

As long as there are parents in the world, there will never not be a market for movies featuring kidnapped children. The Captive puts an even creepier spin on the concept by starring Ryan Reynolds and Mireille Enos as two parents whose entire desperate search for their daughter is being monitored by the kidnappers. When Rosario Dawson discovers the camera hidden in the air vent, there's an immediate chill that runs down your spine. As if the premise of the movie doesn't already make you want to lock your windows and doors and make sure any child in your life has a round-the-clock bodyguard, it has to be combined with the evils of social media and schadenfreude?

The trailer offers no reason for why the kidnappers are watching other than for the pure, sick pleasure of watching Ryan Reynolds run around with an angsty beard. It's Reynolds' second dip into the world of dramatic acting since his appearance in The Voices, which was acquired by Lionsgate for wide distribution. This one's a lot less offbeat and a lot more small town creepiness and it might actually be the performance that turns Reynolds' career around. There's still a long way to go before anyone finds themselves saying "I'm going to see the new Ryan Reynolds movie" again, but it's a start.

Watch the trailer below.

Image: A24