Staring Hugh Jackman as Liam Neeson

Rating: 4/10 (10 April 2020)

I feel like everyone is trying super hard, but even with it's distended length, Prisoners only just manages to be ok.
I know Hugh Jackman is talented as heck, a national treasure, and a delightful guy but as a dramatic actor he just doesn't do it for me. He plays every scene for the cheap seats - you can almost see him reaching deeply to bring every ounce of angst or anger up. He serves a lot of aces but I just don't see enough subtlety for him to sustain a thrilling rally.
As the dad straining at his limits of humanity in his quest to find his daughter, Jackman is a working class Neeson-in-Taken facsimile striking one note for several hours.
The supporting cast is incredible on paper, but no-one other than Gyllenhaal and Melissa Leo gets anything to work with. Paul Dano and Terrence Howard in particular are wasted terribly.
The plot feels like a Scandi Noir relocated to the mid west. It's also twists and turns, bizarre coincidence, red herrings, and tricky symbolism. I feel like they could have junked a fair amount and tightened into either a cracking thriller, or amped up the psychological tension of Jackman's character descending into darkness.
Alternatively, a limited series format could have allowed some of the sub plots and spirals to develop a bit more (although then it would have basically been The Killing).
For my money, too much of everything added up to not much of anything, which is a shame because it's clear everyone showed up with conviction.