A Simple Premise, Yet Oh So Complex Emotionally

Rating: 10/10 (5 March 2017)

After viewing "Prisoners" opening night in the theater with a couple of friends, I turned to them during the closing credits and said "I feel like I've just been through a ten round prize fight". It had been a long time since I'd seen a movie that battered my emotions quite as much as this one.
For a basic plot summary, "Prisoners" opens on a typical Thanksgiving day in what just might be your (the viewers') neighborhood. Instead of the normal revelry and family cheer, however, the daughters of Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) and Franklin Birch (Terrence Howard) are kidnapped. When detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) finds a very strange suspect (Paul Dano), it jump-starts the case in a terrifying direction that goes further into the realm of gritty reality than most films will show.
I consider "Prisoners" to be one of the best films I've ever seen (I don't even want to put a genre to it, as that would be such a disservice to its breadth) because it is so perfect on both the plot and character levels.
Plot-wise, it is a simple kidnapping story (one that has been utilized numerous times in cinema), yet director Dennis Villeneuve pushes its boundaries to the very max. Just when you think you have the film pinned down, it manages to surprise you and go in another direction. Yet, everything makes logical sense and feels "real" at the same time.
That being said, the kidnapping plot itself (while brilliant) is not even the primary focus of the film. Instead, it is the characters reactions to the events, making viewers ponder how we would react in similar situations. The main focus here is on Dover and Loki, but each character adds a very specifically nuanced emotion to the overall mix. The result is drama the likes of which is rarely seen (and sustained for nearly two and a half hours) on the big screen.
I rarely watch a movie twice within the span of a year, but when "Prisoners" comes out to home video I will be snapping it up in an instant to watch with others who I know will appreciate the eerie genius of the experience. I know that many, many more movies will be released between now and "awards season" (aka Academy Awards), but it would be a crying shame if this masterpiece isn't highly represented. For the rest of the year, I'll be hard-pressed to see one better.