Movies like Captive
The best movies like Captive (2012) are United 93 (2006), Executive Decision (1996) and Proof of Life (2000). If Captive hooked you with its drama and thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBlood Diamond (2006)7.6/10 from 8,651 votes
- NewestSniper: No Nation (2026)Released 2026
United 93 (2006)
A real-time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on 9/11 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisExecutive Decision (1996)
Terrorists hijack a 747 inbound to Washington D.C., demanding the release of their imprisoned leader. Intelligence expert David Grant suspects another reason and he is soon the reluctant member of a special assault team that is assigned to intercept the plane and hijackers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisProof of Life (2000)
When Peter Bowman, an American engineer working in a South American country, is captured by anti-government forces, the rebels learn his identity and demand $5 million for his safe return. However, his US employer is on the verge of insolvency and will not provide the ransom. Peter's wife Alice is forced to deal with the matter on her own and she retains the services of freelance professional hostage negotiator Terry Thorne.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlood Diamond (2006)
An ex-mercenary turned smuggler. A Mende fisherman. Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed countrywide.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDirty Angels (2024)
During the United States' 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, a group of female soldiers posing as medical relief are sent back in to rescue a group of kidnapped teenagers caught between ISIS and the Taliban.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBreaking (2022)
Desperate for money and running out of options, Marine veteran Brian Brown-Easley holds several people hostage inside a bank, setting the stage for a tense confrontation with police.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNowhere to Run (1993)
Escaped convict Sam Gillen single-handedly takes on ruthless developers who are determined to evict a widow with two young children.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBehind Enemy Lines (2001)
While flying a routine reconnaissance mission over Bosnia, fighter pilot Lt. Chris Burnett photographs something he wasn't supposed to see and gets shot down behind enemy lines, where he must outrun an army led by a ruthless Serbian general. With time running out and a deadly tracker on his trail, Burnett's commanding officer, Admiral Reigart, decides to risk his career and launch a renegade rescue mission to save his life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Mighty Heart (2007)
Based on Mariane Pearl's account of the terrifying and unforgettable story of her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Pearl's life and death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPlane (2023)
After a heroic job of successfully landing his storm-damaged aircraft in a war zone, a fearless pilot finds himself between the agendas of multiple militias planning to take the plane and its passengers hostage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHostage (2005)
When a mafia accountant is taken hostage on his beat, a police officer – wracked by guilt from a prior stint as a negotiator – must negotiate the standoff, even as his own family is held captive by the mob.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInside Man: Most Wanted (2019)
An NYPD hostage negotiator teams up with a federal agent to rescue dozens of tourists held hostage during a 10-hour seige at the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Dogs of War (1980)
Mercenary soldiers Jamie and Drew are hired by a large corporation to liberate Zangaro, a small African nation, from an despot. Havoc ensues.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Delta Force (1986)
A 707 aircraft jetliner, en route from Athens to Rome and then to New York City, is hijacked by Lebanese terrorists, who demand that the pilot take them to Beirut. What the terrorists don't realize is that an elite team of commandos have been called in to eliminate all terrorists on the jetliner.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSniper: No Nation (2026)
Brandon Beckett and Agent Zero lead a rescue mission in Costa Verde when their friends are taken hostage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBack to Bataan (1945)
A U.S. Army colonel leads local fighters in a guerrilla campaign against the Japanese in the Philippines.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRampage: Capital Punishment (2014)
A man takes over a TV station and holds a number of hostages as a political platform to awaken humanity, instead of money.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInterceptor (2022)
A U.S. Army Captain uses her years of tactical training to save humanity from sixteen nuclear missiles launched at the U.S. as a violent attack threatens her remote missile interceptor station.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEscape from New York (1981)
In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam free. After the US president crash-lands inside, war hero Snake Plissken has 24 hours to bring him back.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCleveland Abduction (2015)
A single mother becomes Ariel Castro's first kidnapping victim, and finds herself trapped in his home with two other women for 11 years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Mauritanian (2021)
The true story of the Mauritanian Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who was held at the U.S military's Guantanamo Bay detention center without charges for over a decade and sought help from a defense attorney for his release.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisManslaughter (1984)
A police drama that chronicles the efforts of a police officer to uncover an unexplained murder case that blends the lives of two women and a theater actor, the victim of an "artistic" shot, part of a play.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & drama
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
A chronicle of the crimes of Ted Bundy, from the perspective of his longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth Kloepfer, who refused to believe the truth about him for years.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Bounty (1984)
An idyllic voyage to Tahiti in 1789 turns a crew aboard the H.M.S. Bounty against its captain when they find a tropical paradise.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAn Amish Sin (2022)
Rachel is an Amish teen who refuses to obey her parent’s command that she marry the man who abused her as a child. When she attempts to run away, she is caught and sent to a “rehab” for Amish girls who don’t follow the rules
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
May December (2023)
Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under the pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThird Time (1963)
The film is based on the real fact — football «The Death Match» between the German team and a team of Soviet prisoners of war, former "Dinamo". It happened in Kiev on June 22, 1942. Anticipating the possibility of losing, the Germans made a condition — defeat or death. If the Germans won, the Soviet footballers were promised freedom...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Coach Carter (2005)
Based on a true story, in which Richmond High School head basketball coach Ken Carter made headlines in 1999 for benching his undefeated team due to poor academic results.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Generals (TBA)
Roh Tae-woo is a figure who publicly presents himself as an 'ordinary man' while maneuvering behind the scenes beside dictator Chun Doo-hwan, who wields absolute authority. Surrounded by allies, rivals, and functionaries with their own agendas, Roh navigates a dense network of relationships in his bid to claim the top seat for himself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Best of Enemies (2019)
Centers on the unlikely relationship between Ann Atwater, an outspoken civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis, a local Ku Klux Klan leader who reluctantly co-chaired a community summit, battling over the desegregation of schools in Durham, North Carolina during the racially-charged summer of 1971. The incredible events that unfolded would change Durham and the lives of Atwater and Ellis forever.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Captive?
The closest matches to Captive are United 93 (2006), Executive Decision (1996) and Proof of Life (2000). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Captive?
Start with United 93 (2006), the closest match to Captive.
What is the highest-rated movie like Captive?
Blood Diamond (2006), rated 7.6/10 by 8,651 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Captive?
Sniper: No Nation (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Captive chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Captive, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.