Prisoners

There are few things more terrifying than a child going missing and in Prisoners it becomes even more terrifying when it happens in broad daylight and with the speed it occurs. Two children disappear at the same time and both families are thrown into a nightmarish scenario where the man they suspect walks free and there seems to be nothing to be done through official channels. This alone could be the set up for a good thriller, the film, however, takes this one step further when Keller (Hugh Jackman) kidnaps the man he believes to be responsible for his daughter’s disappearance and begins a brutal regime of interrogation. The film then splits its focus between Keller’s struggle to break his captive (and his struggles with his own conscience) and the efforts of detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) to find the girls whilst working within the system. From here the film takes the audience into the harrowing depths of desperation, anger, fear and redemption. Watching the families fall apart and suffer under the strain is almost more upsetting than the interrogation scenes themselves. The emotional strain is shown in slow agonising detail - Jackman in particular gives a mesmerising performance as a man teetering on the edge of a moral and spiritual abyss. Gyllenhaal gives a more subdued - but just as intense - portrayal of someone on the edge of the system, staying within the rules but being continually frustrated and thwarted by them. Some elements of the plot ring a little hollow; this is mostly due to a lack of elaboration and the dialogue in some scenes feels rather rushed. This does not derail a plot which for the most part keeps its audience enthralled in the story. If some of these plot points were a little more watertight it would help the film feel more complete and give a better feeling of closure at the finale. Overall this is a film that takes on weighty ideas and concepts. It might not succeed in adequately dealing with all of them but it does provide a gripping tale and a great character study in human frailty and evil. FINAL VERDICT 9/10 with great performances and a thrilling plot this will hold your attention from start to finish. NOTE –as there were many elements of the film which I could not discuss for fear of spoiling the plot I have decided to upload a separate article going into more detail.