Review of Prisoners (2013) by Benskylerhill — 26 May 2018

Prisoners is one of the most brutal, dark, hard-to-watch films you will ever see--not because of over-the-top gore or anything like that, but simply because of its themes and the way it portrays them. It explores the most grim aspects of human nature, showcasing the fact that everyone, if they're pushed far enough, is capable of becoming a villain in their own right. (The Joker would be proud.) And this showcase is executed almost flawlessly.

The brilliantly realistic script and lifelike performances blend together in perfectly bleak harmony and create not just characters, but people that experience and react to loss beyond ordinary comprehension. It's rare that a scene of dialogue is so engrossing that it feels just as exciting as an action sequence, but that's exactly what Prisoners accomplishes. There's so much emotion and genuine humanity engrained within each performance and spoken word that I, as a viewer, felt just as terrified and helpless as the characters on screen. It's like its contagious, and it takes some serious talent to make art have that sort of effect.

The editing and cinematography further add to the authenticity of the atmosphere. The camera is always positioned in such a way that the audience is always shown exactly what they need to see to feel the perfect amount of tension. It's beyond impressive.

I really wish I could say that this movie is perfect, but it isn't. Where it falls flat is in its storytelling, which starts to collapse in the third act. When the true antagonist and their motives are revealed, it's all a bit farfetched, to say the least, and it unfortunately tears a hole in the otherwise very lifelike narrative. There are also some minor plot points that are introduced toward the conclusion that don't seem to be elaborated upon nearly as much as they should have been. But the final scene of the film perfectly ties everything else together, creating a seamless arc from start to finish.

Prisoners is so close to deserving a perfect score. It wastes none of its 153 minutes and builds incredible tension and drama that never lets up. But that one unbelievable twist serves as its Achilles' heel and it just took me out of the story too much to forget about it.

Story: 6.

Acting: 10.

Script: 10.

Visuals/Sound: 10.

Entertainment Value: 10.

OVERALL SCORE: 9.