A truly gritty, yet astonishing thriller, with the best of Jake Gyllenhall and Hugh Jackman

Rating: 10/10 (21 September 2013)

Originally I was going to see Riddick this night, but we missed the time and saw that Prisoners had just premiered. I really did not know too much about the film, other then it was a thriller/mystery with Hugh Jackman, that's it. I had no idea what kind of an edge of my seat/nearly out of breath movie this was going to be after I sat down in the theater.
Every performance is incredibly well done and acted, especially Jackman and Gyllenhaal, the two main characters we follow through most of the story. It was tempting to make a statement out loud regarding Marvel references, considering Jake's characters name is Loki (of Asgard!), and Hugh Jackman. (well, you know, schnick!) That aside, both Jake and Hugh are excellent in this film. You may think that Keller (H.J.) is just out for blood to find his daughters, but he had legitimate reasons for doing what he does to find that answers and save his and his friend Franklin's (Terrence Howard) daughters. Loki is a no nonsense cop who "has solved all of his cases", and is extremely determined to find out who is behind the kidnappings and why.
While this movie is 2.5 hours long, it really pulls you into the suspense, feeling for each characters emotions and "praying for the best, and preparing for the worst" throughout the whole film. Not in a long time have I been legitimately worried about the safety and lives of fictional characters in a movie. This movie is extremely gruesome at times, but just the right amount of grittiness that makes it all the better.
Excellent film: brilliant cinematography, acting, suspense, and story, bringing to the big screen one of the best movies of 2013, and may very well hold that honor come the end of the year.
Prisoners: 10/10