Review of Prisoners (2013) by Max H — 22 Sep 2014

Movie Review: Prisoners.

Last year in late September a buddy and I decided to see a new movie. I had my heart set on the Insidious two, which was supposed to scare the life out of you. My buddy had other ideas. He decided to drag me along to Prisoners. At the time I hadn't heard of the movie and when he described it to me I nearly backed out on him, but being the good friend that I am I went any way.

As we took our seats I was positive I just blew another 10 bucks on a movie that probably wasn't worth three dollars. But when the theatre doors opened 153 minutes later I came out a new man. It was brilliant to say the least. A beautifully constructed film with grade A actors and spectacular scenery. Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman battle each other as Keller Dover (Jackman) searches for his suddenly kidnapped daughter, Anna.

The audience quickly gets the creepy vibe of this movie in an early scene as the camera pans across a beaten, rusty, old RV sending chills down your spine. Keller Dover is certain that the kidnapper has something to do with this RV, but Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) thinks otherwise. As the movie continues more disturbing and frightening scenes occur. When Keller finds the man from the RV he decides to take it into his own hands without the knowledge of the police. Beating and torturing the young man found in this RV parked outside his house.

The star studded line up made up of Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, and Viola Davis gave everything they had for this film. Jackman overpowered the man in the RV with his large and powerful physical stature while Gyllenhaal played a brilliant detective. Now, Gyllenhaal was not nominated for any awards from this movie, but he should have. He played a sly detective with a slight tick and he absolutely nailed it. From beginning to end Gyllenhaal had me entertained with his quick compressed blinks and the toothpick he had in the side of his lip to help keep his tick under control. He had a calm laidback demeanor with a slight temper at times making it the perfect combination for a detective.

The films setting in a cold Pennsylvania town is exactly the location this film needs. A Pennsylvania November is filled with cold dark nights and foggy days giving it the ideal setting for the movie. The audience can feel the creepiness of the film just by the location it takes place in.

Although this film has a scary feeling to it, I'd still encourage it to most audiences over the age of 13, whether or not you like scary movies. Throughout the movie you feel as if you can determine what will happen next, and you would be completely wrong. By far one of the best movies of 2013 and I'd encourage anyone of any type of audience to see this film. It is the perfect combination of actors who fill their role perfectly, and a setting that is spot on. If you see one movie from the year 2013 it must be Prisoners. You won't regret it.