Captive State had all the right elements to be a hit, from its dystopian setting to the talented John Goodman. It seemed to fade into obscurity without much fanfare after its release in 2019. Thanks to Netflix, the morally complex thriller has found new life with a growing audience, giving us a second chance to dissect its intricate plot.
The movie takes place in Chicago, under martial law, after an alien invasion has taken over in a re-imagined 2019. A family of four, the Drummonds, attempts to flee the city, but their efforts are cut short when the aliens kill the parents, leaving the two brothers, Gabriel and Rafe, as orphans.
John Goodman leads a morally complex thriller in a world overrun by aliens (Photo: Captive State/Lightfuse & Gettaway and Participant Media)Fast forward nine years, and humans have largely submitted to the alien rule, though a resistance group, Phoenix, continues to operate underground with Rafe now leading the charge.
In this dystopian world, the aliens track every human’s movements using implants, while criminals are deported to other planets, and Earth’s resources are plundered. Not everyone is against the aliens, however.
William Mulligan (played by Goodman), a police commander who had once worked with the Drummond brothers’ father, aligns himself with the invaders. His goal is to eliminate the resistance, making him a pro-alien figure in this world of oppression.
Captive State Ending Explained: Do the Resistance Succeed?
Mulligan’s interactions with Gabriel grow more intense as the film progresses, with him pushing Gabriel for information on the resistance while withholding details of his own.
The resistance, in a desperate move, launches an attack on the aliens, but instead of a victory, it results in more heavy-handed control, as special hunters are dispatched to eradicate the leadership. Rafe is captured during the attack, shot, and arrested before he can take his cyanide pill, while Gabriel also finds himself imprisoned by the authorities.
Mulligan uses Rafe’s torture to manipulate Gabriel into contacting the resistance’s secret network in hopes of meeting their leader. Gabriel’s encounter with Jane Doe (Vera Farmiga), a prostitute who somehow knows him by name, leads to a tragic turn when she is killed during a police raid.
Following this, it is revealed that Jane had bugged her brothel, collecting incriminating evidence on important figures, including police commissioner Eugene Ivoe (Kevin Dunn), whose secrets about the alien operation had sparked the resistance’s earlier attack.
Ivoe is removed from office and sent to another planet, with Mulligan promoted in his place.
A New Revelation in Captive State
Gabriel left to process the failed resistance and his brother Rafe’s exile, receives a memory card from Mulligan. Watching the video contained in it, Gabriel uncovers a shocking truth. The footage from his baby shower reveals Mulligan sharing drinks with his parents and Jane, along with other resistance members.
Phoenix rises from the ashes of oppression as the resistance grows stronger (Photo: Captive State/Lightfuse & Gettaway and Participant Media)The clip concludes with Mulligan urging Gabriel to continue the resistance’s mission. Having climbed the ranks, Mulligan is now in a position to meet with the aliens in their base beneath Chicago. As he descends into their lair, Mulligan detonates a suicide bomb, seemingly sacrificing himself to destroy the alien threat.
This act positions him as a deep cover agent, loyal to the resistance all along. The film’s closing text reveals that rebellions have spread across the globe, eventually driving the aliens from Earth, marking a bittersweet yet victorious end for humanity.
Director Rupert Sanders shed light on Mulligan’s true role, confirming that he had always been a resistance agent. “From the beginning, my co-writer Erica Beeney and I intended for Mulligan to be the Trojan horse,” Sanders explained.
“While filming, we discussed whether to make this revelation explicit or leave it up to the audience. We wanted the final moments to carry the most impact, and that’s where the film’s true power lies.”
