Best Movie of 2013?

Rating: Null/10 (2 February 2014)

I watched this film with very low expectations: the trailer looked good enough but i was questioning whether it was worth spending over two hours of my time on, and i am so glad i did watch it in the end.
The synopsis of this movie is in full in the trailer, but if you are still unsure from the trailer and reading other reviews, the main story is basically the investigation of the disappearance of two young girls from two different, but very close, families.
This film is exactly what i have been looking for and i didn't even know it. This film has everything, it has tension and suspense, but also has action and is full of emotion.
What makes this film so good is that i have never seen anything like it. It wasn't predictable at all, but it also wasn't so unpredictable that story line just became hard to follow and unrealistic. This film could have easily been based on a true story, which is why it was so engaging.
The acting in this film was phenomenal, especially Hugh Jackman's performance, to the point where at times i forgot that this was just a film. Jake Gyllenhaal who adopted the role of the head detective was also fantastic, as was Paul Dano who portrayed the main suspect. There were only (roughly) 8 main characters; the four parents, the two children who disappeared, the detective, and the main suspect (Alex Jones) but not at any point did I feel there was a lack of detail and continuity. In fact, my only criticism would be that we barely saw the two mothers in the film in comparison to some other characters, but thats just me being picky.
I would highly recommend this movie to anybody i know, unless you are not a fan of violence/gore/blood etc as it is fairly prominent throughout. This film is definitely worse watching, and as it is out on DVD tomorrow, i suggest you snatch a copy if you get the chance.