Gripping mystery

Rating: 9/10 (29 September 2013)

A great mystery film. It's definitely the kind of movie that, afterward, you can pick it apart a bit and find some major narrative flaws, but, while it's going, it's so gripping and tense you're just in the moment. Hugh Jackman and wife Maria Bello take their two kids over to their neighbors' (Terrence Howard and Viola Davis) house for Thanksgiving. Their two young daughters go outside to play and disappear. Detective Jake Gyllenhaal is assigned to the case and quickly finds the driver of a mysterious RV that had been seen in the neighborhood, a severely retarded man (Paul Dano). There's no evidence whatsoever that Dano did anything, but Jackman leaches onto him, refusing to believe the police in the matter. He soon kidnaps Dano and attempts to torture the truth out of him. The theme of compromised morality is powerful, and Jackman is great in this role. Gyllenhaal is also very good, although sometimes the character feels too much like a movie cop (this dude never calls for backup, even in the most dangerous situations!). The film is gorgeously shot, edited and scored.