Review of Prisoners (2013) by Stuart K — 27 Apr 2014

Directed by French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, (Maelström (2000), Incendies (2011) and Enemy (2013)) and written by Aaron Guzikowski (Contraband (2012)), this dark and brooding crime thriller is one which will require your patience but it is well worth it.

The success of the film is down to a really intricate plot and a terrific cast, all putting some magnificent and electrifying performances. Carpenter Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is a very devout Catholic whose family goes for Thanksgiving dinner with their neighbours, Franklyn and Nancy Birch (Terrence Howard and Viola Davis).

After dinner, the families girls Anna Dover (Erin Gerasimovich) and Joy Birch (Kyla Drew Simmons) go missing, prompting a search led by Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal). The main suspect is Alex Jones (Paul Dano), who had an RV parked nearby, but Jones has the mental age of a little boy, and they can't prove he did it.

Dover believes Jones did it, so he takes the law into his own hands, but Loki discovers some dark secrets about this particular case. It's a film you will need to watch again, as all the clues are spread throughout the film, but they're not very clear, and you will need to pay attention to.

However, it all makes sense in the end, and nothing in this mystery is what it seems, and everyone, even the innocent parties, all have skeletons in the closet.