meticulous direction and phenomenal acting amalgamate for a deep, dark, and disturbing mystery/thriller

Rating: 10/10 (14 November 2014)

Prisoners follows the story of two little girls who go missing on Thanksgiving. A detective (Jake Gyllenhaal) hunts down several people and does everything he can to solve the case. Meanwhile, one of the girl's fathers (Hugh Jackman) decides to take matters into his own hands. Prisoners is such an incredibly made movie; each shot is diligently crafted, each piece of dialogue is captivating and dramatic. The atmosphere is very dark, gloomy, and creepy. It is almost like that of a horror movie. For example, the use of differed weather is used in may scenes. Rain, snow, hail, wind, etc., is used to create a specific mood for each scene and setting. The characters are well-developed and interesting. In fact there are many character traits that have nothing to do with the story; they are there simply for background. The acting is amazing. Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, and all the supporting actors give great performances. The movie is very suspenseful and sucks you into the story within the first ten minutes. That being said, despite the two and a half hour run-time, I was not bored for one second! The entire movie has a pervasive feeling of dread and unpleasantness. The entire thing is very emotionally disturbing, depressing, and hard to watch. For that reason not all audiences will enjoy this movie, but for people looking for an intense and suspenseful thriller, Prisoners is perfect for you. I also LOVED the ending. Some people complain about it but I found it to be the perfect ending to a perfect movie.