Suspense from beginning to end

Rating: 8/10 (12 October 2013)

If movies were rated according to the heartbeats per minute they caused, this one would get a top score. My heart started beating after the first fifteen minutes and kept on until the very end. That's how much suspense there is in this film. The film is very long (153 minutes), but never bores or slows down. In fact, I enjoyed every new plot twist because it would make the suspense last longer.
If you like intelligent thrillers, you shouldn't miss this one. It keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. The story is quite complicated, but during the film it turns out every piece of the puzzle fits perfectly. In fact, some elements I only figured out after returning home.
The start of the movie is very strong. Two happy families, visiting each other for Thanksgiving, enjoy a nice evening until they realize that the two young daughters are missing. Both couples react differently. After the police releases the only suspect because they can't find anything against him, one of the fathers decides to take matters into his own hands. His despair makes his sense of what's right and wrong disappear.
Apart from the very good script, other strong points are the cinematography, showing cold, rainy forests in shades of grey, and the acting. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the lone, tough detective Loki, who is determined to solve the case against all odds. He works alone, doesn't have a family and never smiles. Even after the case is solved and he is visited in hospital by one of the mothers, he doesn't show any emotion at all.
The film contains some graphic violence, and also has some rather creepy moments. This is not a nice, easy, polished film. It has some rough edges and a dark intensity. That's why I liked it.