The Captive (2025 film)

The Captive
Theatrical release poster
SpanishEl cautivo
Directed byAlejandro Amenábar
Screenplay byAlejandro Amenábar
Story by
Produced by
  • Fernando Bovaira
  • Alejandro Amenábar
Starring
CinematographyÁlex Catalán
Edited byCarolina Martínez Urbina
Music byAlejandro Amenábar
Production
companies
  • MOD Producciones
  • Himenóptero
  • Misent Producciones
  • MOD Pictures
  • Propaganda Italia
Distributed byBuena Vista International (es)
Release dates
  • 7 September 2025 (2025-09-07) (TIFF)
  • 12 September 2025 (2025-09-12) (Spain)
Running time
133 minutes
Countries
  • Spain
  • Italy
Languages

The Captive (Spanish: El cautivo) is a 2025 adventure drama film directed by Alejandro Amenábar. It stars Julio Peña as Miguel de Cervantes, tackling the latter's spell in captivity in Algiers. It is a Spanish-Italian co-production.

The film premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September, followed by its theatrical release in Spain by Buena Vista International on 12 September 2025.

Plot

The plot explores the plight of wounded navy soldier Miguel de Cervantes after being taken captive to Algiers in 1575, involving his attempts to escape, the development of his skills for storytelling, and a romance with the governor of Algiers.[2][3][4][5][n. 1]

Cast

Production

The Captive is a Spanish-Italian co-production by MOD Producciones, Himenóptero, Misent Producciones and Propaganda Italia and it had the participation of Netflix, RTVE, and Rai Cinema and backing from ICAA, Generalitat Valenciana, and Eurimages.[3][4] It boasted a reported budget of around €14 million.[11] Part of the filming took place in April 2024 at the Castle-Fortress of Santa Pola.[12][13] Shooting locations also included the Alcázar of Seville (standing in for the Algiers' Pasha Palace), and the Marchenilla Castle in Alcalá de Guadaíra.[14]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on 7 September 2025.[15][16] It is scheduled to be released theatrically in Spain on 12 September 2025 by Buena Vista International.[17][18] Global Constellation (formerly Film Constellation) managed international sales, selling rights in France (Haut et Court), Greece and Cyprus (Filmtrade/Tanweer), Portugal (NOS Audiovisuais), Bulgaria (Pro Films), and former Yugoslavia (Discovery).[15][12] It was also included in the 'World Focus' programming of the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival.[19]

Reception

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 58% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10.[20]

Olivia Popp of Cineuropa observed that Amenábar "imbues the mythos with a sparkling shot of a gay enemies-to-maybe-lovers tale, complete with the production and costumed resplendence of a historical epic".[21] Marta Medina of El Confidencial rated The Captive 2 out of 5 stars, lamenting the historical drama film to be a "wasted chance", as it tackles its central topic in a "prude and insignificant" fashion.[22]

Historical depiction

Cervantes historian José Manuel Lucía Megías, author of 2025 nonfiction book Cervantes íntimo. Amor y sexo en los Siglos de Oro, acted as a historical consultant for the film. Contrary to the film's depiction, Lucía Megías considers the theory of a Cervantes engaging in homosexuality in Algiers a myth, originated in transgressive revisionism in the 1980s.[23] The relationship between Cervantes and Hassan Pasha, two adult men of almost the same age, would have not been tolerated in the Islamic world at the time and place, where only relationships between an active older man and a passive young man were possible.[23] The film also adapts the plot point that Cervantes was accused in his youth of engaging in homosexual acts with his mentor Juan López de Hoyos, which Lucía Megías described as a notion invented by modern writer Fernando Arrabal.[23][24] In spite of this, Lucía Megías praised highly the film.[23]

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2025
 31st Forqué Awards Audience Award Won [25]
2026
 13th Feroz Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Film Miguel Rellán Pending [26]
Best Original Soundtrack Alejandro Amenábar Pending

See also

Informational notes

  1. ^ The plot echoes the accusations launched against Cervantes by Blanco de Paz, a Dominican friar in captivity in Algiers, of "dealings and familiarity" with the Turk and of "vicious, ugly, and dishonest things", which according to Amenábar, could only refer to homosexuality.[6][5]

References

  1. ^ a b "The Captive". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  2. ^ "'El cautivo' de Amenábar trasladará en mayo su rodaje a Alicante". Europa Press. 30 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b Barraclough, Leo (30 January 2024). "Alejandro Amenábar's Miguel de Cervantes Origin Story 'The Captive' to Be Launched at European Film Market by Film Constellation (Exclusive)". Variety.
  4. ^ a b "El cautivo". Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España. 30 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b Muñoz, Fernando (7 September 2025). "El viaje de Alejandro Amenábar hasta el corazón de Cervantes". ABC.
  6. ^ Albert, María (3 September 2025). "Arturo Pérez-Reverte va al cine a ver 'El cautivo' y opina sin filtros de la nueva película de Amenábar sobre Cervantes". ABC.
  7. ^ Hopewell, John (15 May 2024). "'The Captive,' From 'The Others' Director Alejandro Amenábar, Initiates Principal Photography, Drops First-Look Still (Exclusive)". Variety.
  8. ^ a b c d e "'El cautivo', la nueva película de Alejandro Amenábar sobre el cautiverio de Miguel de Cervantes, llega a los cines". 20minutos.es. 6 September 2025.
  9. ^ a b Úbeda-Portugués, Albertl (6 September 2025). "Los estrenos del 12 de septiembre. 'El cautivo'. Aventuras en Argel". Aisge.
  10. ^ a b c Torcaz, Lidia (11 September 2025). "Amenábar: "¿Y si hubiera planteado que Cervantes es homosexual, dónde está el problema?"". Tiramillas – via Marca.
  11. ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (31 January 2024). "Alejandro Amenábar prepara la cinta de aventuras El cautivo". Cineuropa.
  12. ^ a b "Alejandro Amenábar rueda en Alicante 'El Cautivo', una coproducción hispano-italiana sobre Cervantes". Audiovisual451. 30 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Sevilla acogerá el final del rodaje de la nueva película de Alejandro Amenábar a mediados de junio". eldiario.es. 30 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Finaliza en el Alcázar de Sevilla el rodaje de la nueva película de Amenábar, 'El cautivo'". ABC. 15 June 2024.
  15. ^ a b Hopewell, John (5 September 2025). "Alejandro Amenábar Unpacks Historical Adventure 'The Captive'". Variety.
  16. ^ Erbland, Kate (26 June 2025). "TIFF 2025 Announces First Wave of World Premieres, with New Films from Steven Soderbergh and Nia DaCosta". IndieWire.
  17. ^ Contreras, Voro (11 June 2025). ""El cautivo", la película "valenciana" de Amenábar, llegará a los cines en septiembre". Levante-EMV. Prensa Ibérica.
  18. ^ "RTVE.es estrena el tráiler de 'El cautivo': el joven Cervantes según Alejandro Amenábar". rtve.es. 11 June 2025.
  19. ^ Schley, Matt (1 October 2025). "Tokyo film festival reveals lineup with world premieres from Chong Keat Aun, Rithy Panh, Amos Gitai". ScreenDaily.
  20. ^ "The Captive". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  21. ^ Popp, Olivia (15 September 2025). "Review: The Captive". Cineuropa.
  22. ^ Medina, Marta (12 September 2025). "'El cautivo': poca carne en el asador en esta fantasía homoerótica cervantina". El Confidencial.
  23. ^ a b c d Cedillo, Jaime (1 September 2025). "La homosexualidad de Cervantes, un mito que ignora el contexto de su época y nos aleja del hombre" (in Spanish). El Español. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  24. ^ Reinosa, Angélica (14 September 2025). "Viaje al origen del mito del Cervantes homosexual que recupera Amenábar: "No hay que colocarlo ni en una peana de mármol ni en una carroza del Orgullo"" (in Spanish). El Mundo. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  25. ^ Quijano, F.D. (13 December 2025). "Premios Forqué 2025: la lista completa de todos los ganadores". El Cultural – via El Español.
  26. ^ Fariñas, Tamara (27 November 2025). "Todos los nominados a los Premios Feroz 2026". La Sexta (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 November 2025.
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