When I initally came out of Denis Villeneuve's thriller "Prisoners" I felt somewhat let-down and disappointed. After some introspection and deliberation however, I came to appreciate the movie more for what it is.
After seeing this film, you may initially figure that the "Prisoners" of the title are the two little girls who are kidnapped early in the movie. But, some further thinking might lead you to speculate that the term "prisoner" can be used to encapsulate several more of the principle characters of the film. The ensemble cast is lead by Hugh Jackman as Keller Dover, the patriarch of the Dover family and the man who's daughter Anna (Erin Gerasimovich) along with her playmate Joy (Kyla Drew Simmons) mysteriously vanish one overcast day in November. The only thing that stands as any evidence is the remembrance of a camper being parked near where they disappeared. The owner of the camper is discovered to be Alex Jones (Paul Dano) a weird young man with the IQ of a ten year old. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Detective Loki who leads the investigation. When the Dano character fails to admit any guilt in the disappearance he is let go. Keller Dover (Jackman), still determined of the guilt of the Alex takes matters into his own hands and kidnaps him and holds him as a prisoner trying to find out the two girls location.
Thus, not only are the two girls prisoners, so is Alex Jones and so is Jackman and Terrence Howard (the father of Joy) who are prisoners of their own obsessions. Detective Loki is a prisoner of his own determination to solve the mystery. We also learn later on that Jackman's character is a prisoner of addiction (alcoholism).
"Prisoners" is a very well-made thriller with a lot of suspense and murky, down-trodden atmosphere. I had trouble caring deeply for many of the characters which has prevented me from giving it a higher rating. But the film has many admirable qualities. The cinematography is gloomy and appropriate, the performances are top-notch, and the story will keep you guessing until the end and on the edge of your seat. It is a difficult film to love but it stays with you afterwards and leaves a lasting impression.
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