Phenomenal

Rating: 10/10 (30 September 2019)

Prisoners is a cold and visceral experience, and it draws your attention towards every important detail more and more as the story progresses... leaving you out of breath and shocked by the end. The bone-chilling suspense which intensifies by the minute, is handled masterfully... knowing exactly when and when not to show certain things. The performances were incredibly powerful and emotionally rich, and every character had a motive for what drove them to resolve the pain and grief they were going through... caused by a terrifying situation. Hugh Jackman plays one of the fathers whose child was kidnapped in broad daylight, Jake Gyllenhaal plays the detective, and when the two characters interact/clash... it is very unnerving and highly intense. As the film progresses, the sense of dread that the characters are feeling is projected on the audience in the most subtle of ways... you feel the uncertainty, pain, and confusion that the characters have to bare in order to continue solving the crime. Prisoners presented sophisticated cinematography, a riveting screenplay, flawless storytelling, and authentic character development while also being a thrilling, engaging, and somber crime film... which balances every aspect of filmmaking with ease and professionalism. This movie was a journey into the lives of these characters... whose lives were devastated in the blink of an eye, leaving them and the audience hopeless and unsure. The final act was jaw-dropping and went to such an extent to accomplish cinematic perfection, leading to a powerful/twisted/mind-boggling final shot... chilling me to the bone.