Review: Prisoners

Prisoners, described by IMDb as a crime/thriller/drama, packs a violent punch as the newest film from director Denis Villeneuve (director of award winning Maelstrom (2000). Starring Hugh Jackman (Kelly Dover) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Detective Loci), the story follows Kelly Dover as he tries to come to terms with the disappearance of his 6-year-old daughter, Anna along with her friend, Joy. As Detective Loci (Jake Gyllenhaal) begins to question multiple suspects, Dover takes on his own form of investigation. Although the film begins with the presentation of the all-American rural life, dinner at a family friends and the nicely timed ‘downpour’ when the girls go missing, the film soon jumps into a moral and suspense driven thriller. Even with all the exciting elements of the genre, with the cat and mouse detective chase that will certainly keep the audience on the edge of their seats, Villeneuve elevates the story to another degree. Not only does Villeneuve push the boundaries of thriller into horror with some terrifyingly violent scenes, he leaves the audience talking well after the perpetrator has been caught. By raising the question of “how for would you go for your children?” and keeping the audience on  their toes with its constant twists and turns, this film successfully stands apart from other thriller movies.