one scary movie

Rating: 10/10 (18 February 2014)

Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello star in "Prisoners" from 2013, directed by Denis Villeneuve.
When two little girls go missing on Thanksgiving Day, one of the fathers, Keller Dover (Jackman) reels completely out of control searching for her. He kidnaps one of the suspects (Paul Dano) and tortures him for information, and, a recovering alcoholic, starts drinking again. The policeman on the case, Loki (Gyllenhaal) starts trailing him while searching for the children and looking at suspects.
What a dark, gritty movie, photographed in muted colors that make the film look old. The landscape is stark. People aren't particularly well-dressed. The cars are old.
This is a movie about prisoners of all types - emotional, physical, addictive. In Prisoners, everyone is just that, in his or her own way. Truly a suspenseful movie with a fantastic performance by Hugh Jackman -- perhaps his best -- as the crazed father. A brooding Jake Gyllenhaal is excellent as the police officer who is desperate to find the girls.
Prisoners is not always easy to watch, but you won't be able to turn away.