Ryan Reynolds And Rosario Dawson's Forgotten 2014 Thriller Blows Up On Netflix

Ryan Reynolds and Rosario Dawson were legitimate film stars in 2014, but they had yet to prove they could carry a studio movie on their own. While they were seeking the role that would vault them over the top into superstardom, they were able to take parts in smaller, independent films that showcased their acting chops in the hopes that they could bolster their careers via awards season success.

Enter "The Captive." Directed by celebrated Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan (who co-wrote the screenplay with David Fraser), the 2014 thriller concerns the kidnapping of nine-year-old Cassandra Lane (Alexia Fast) by a child pornographer known only as Mika (Kevin Durand). The officers in charge of the investigation, Nicole Dunlap (Dawson) and Jeffrey Cornwall (Scott Speedman), initially lean toward Cassandra's father, Matthew (Reynolds), as a suspect, but we know he's not responsible. Nevertheless, Matthew's wife, Tina (Mireille Enos), blames him for leaving Cassandra in the car as he popped into a store. With no credible leads, Cassandra seems lost for good.

The narrative then skips forward eight years, where we find Matthew conducting his own hunt for Cassandra. She now serves Mika as a chambermaid and also chats with young girls online to help him find new victims to exploit. Jeffrey comes across pictures of Cassandra, which leads them to arrest Mika's associate Willy (Ian Matthews). In jail, Willy asks Mika to kidnap Nicole and force her to explain on video why she's driven to pursue child pornographers.

"The Captive" played in theaters in Canada but, due to its bad reviews, premiered on DirecTV in the U.S. in addition to receiving a very limited theatrical run. 12 years later, it's apparently found its audience on Netflix, where it's currently the streamer's ninth most popular film (via FlixPatrol). Why the sudden uptick in interest?

Typically, an underseen movie catches fire on streaming because one of its stars suddenly becomes a big deal. Sometimes, it's due to an established star appearing in an currently-in-release blockbuster. And on rare occasions, viewers are eager to check out previous movies from a director who's just caught fire.

Neither Ryan Reynolds nor Rosario Dawson are in major projects at the moment, and, sadly, Atom Egoyan hasn't helmed a buzzy movie since 1997's "The Sweet Hereafter" (which also happened to be that year's best film). Movies like "Chloe" haven't done his reputation any favors, either.

I suspect the combination of stars and the renewed focus on Jeffrey Epstein's child trafficking ring have combined to make "The Captive" a must-watch. And while I'm happy that many people are watching their first Egoyan movie, I wish they could start, oh, just about anywhere else. "The Captive" is an Egoyan film through and through, right down to its non-linear storytelling, but it's disappointingly conventional and light on character development. Egoyan has worked with A-listers throughout his career, but "The Captive" might be his most deliberate play for a box office hit.

Maybe viewers with no knowledge of Egoyan's filmography, or those just looking for a thriller about a relevant, deeply disturbing topic that isn't overly demanding, will like "The Captive." I just wish more folks would watch "Exotica" or "The Sweet Hereafter."

Shortly after "The Captive," Reynolds' career burst through the stratosphere with "Deadpool." He deserved it, but, as a fan of his acting, it stinks that he only makes big studio movies nowadays. As for Dawson, she's still waiting for her blockbuster breakthrough. It should've happened with "Ahsoka," but, selfishly, I'm glad she's still challenging herself in independent movies.