As in all good mystery novels, the seemingly disconnected narrative threads are tied together beautifully in the last act.

Rating: 8/10 (5 August 2016)

I watched this several days ago and have been mulling over it ever since. The gist of it is that two girls are abducted, and all signs point to a mentally disabled man, Alex Jones (a spectacularly creepy Paul Dano), being the culprit. He's arrested by Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), but a lack of evidence swiftly finds Jones back on the street. Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman), the father of one of the girls, isn't convinced of Jones's innocence, and he vows to do whatever is necessary to bring the girls home. Villeneuve's thriller is anything but fast-paced (it runs for a whopping two and a half hours), but it's certainly never boring. The inflated running time allows for greater character development (specifically of Loki and Keller Dover), and invites us to dwell on the moral ambiguities of Dover's quest. Dover has good reason to suspect Jones, but he goes to extreme means to make him talk, to the extent that even his co-conspirators find themselves questioning his actions.
I was immediately reminded of Taken, but whereas Taken might be the Death Wish of the child abduction genre, this is a more grounded and disturbing take on the material. There are extreme acts of violence and torture in this film, much like in Taken, but we're never invited to enjoy the spectacle, and the more horrific acts are mostly implied. At the same time we can understand why Keller does what he does (at one point his wife tearfully says, "you always made me feel so safe," the unspoken accusation being that he failed as the protector of his family), and find it difficult to condemn him. At a time when films can be so preachy concerning matters of morality, it's refreshing to see a movie that raises these questions without being so pretentious as to think there's a simple answer.
While tackling such hard-hitting themes as the destruction of a man's soul and child abuse, it thankfully also functions as a riveting mystery. The contemplative pacing and the convoluted mystery (Loki pursues several leads, each of which appear to be dead ends) make this feel more novel-like (indeed, I was surprised to discover this was an original screenplay), but as in all good mystery novels the seemingly disconnected narrative threads are tied together beautifully in the last act. I only wonder if perhaps the solution to the mystery, as well as the motivation behind the abductions, is a little too far-fetched and over-the-top for its own good. In any case, it didn't massively detract from my enjoyment.
I need not point out Roger Deakins's Oscar-nominated cinematography, but the cast is worth discussing. I've always liked Hugh Jackman, but I rarely like his movies, so it's a pleasure to see him in something that I feel is worth his time. He gives it his all here, and he is at turns heartrending and frightening as the tormented vigilante father. Jake Gyllenhaal is likewise quite good as Detective Loki, and he retains our sympathy even after making some incredibly boneheaded decisions. The grand prize, however, must go to Paul Dano for his seriously creepy yet understated performance. I don't want to spoil too much, but his soft-spoken, seemingly simpleminded character compares favorably with that of Richard Attenborough in 10 Rillington Place.
I'll end this rambling review by noting something I haven't seen mentioned in other reviews. The final scene bears a fascinating resemblance to certain scenes from two different films by Lucio Fulci: Seven Notes in Black and City of the Living Dead. For anyone who hasn't yet watched this (which you should, immediately!), I'd rather not spoil it by describing them, but in the case of the latter film in particular it's almost uncanny. I can't help but wonder whether the writer or director follow Fulci's work. I was also frequently reminded of Duccio Tessari's superlative, heartrending thriller Death Occurred Last Night, which likewise sees a detective and an enraged, heartbroken father racing to locate the person or persons who abducted his daughter. In any case, Prisoners certainly brings plenty of its own unique qualities to the table. I wouldn't call it a classic, but it leaves a lasting impact, which is more than I can say for a lot of films I've watched recently.