An Amazing Dark Abyss

Rating: 8/10 (4 December 2013)

What happens after a family is shattered by the disappearance of a small child is darkly explored in Prisoners. Keller Dover, played by Hugh Jackman, is on a personal mission to find his daughter before its too late. An old truck camper as mysteriously seen in the Dover's neighborhood reveals an oddball suspect likely purposely named Alex Jones. When the police are forced to let Jones go Dover's obsession to take matters into his own hands quickly spins out of control. This is set against the mystery of Jone's apparently mental deficiency and seemingly innocuous aunt who is his caregiver.
The film quickly proceeds painting a dark psychological thriller. Whatever is going on with Alex Jones and his aunt seems more pathetic than threatening even though Jones is most certainly is involved. Caught in the middle is police detective Loki, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Loki's character is as intense in his will to find the two girls as is Dover's. Clearly, being on two different sides of the law while solving the crime puts Dover and Loki at odds with one another. The performances by Jackman and Gyllenhaal are such that these two create a mountain of tension on an already "edge of your seat" atmosphere created by the writers and pounded home by the excellent atmospherically dark location shooting.
Brilliantly, Prisoners doesn't give up too much as it builds a bleak picture of how all approach the battle of good versus evil. Moral questions swirl like black storm clouds touching all involved. This is a complex crime thriller that makes the viewer uneasy for the entire ride. It has a feel of realism and intellectualism while being 100% accessible save for the dread feeling of depravity which makes watching akin to witnessing a macabre disaster. In this regard one wants to look away, but simply can't.
Prisoners achieves everything it sets out to with a cast non-parallel who all give uniformly excellent performances (i.e.the best ever from Jackman and Gyllenhaal to date). The supporting cast is above all scrutiny with spot-on direction and cinematography combining to weave superlatively written story never veering too far out or even feeling remotely like a crime story retread. This is a highly recommended movie - a must see.