Prisoners is an epic crime drama thriller from Denis Villeneuve, director of the Oscar-nominated foreign film, Incendies. The film pivots on two powerful co-lead performances from Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal with fine direction from Villeneuve. Prisoners makes a wonderful comparative character study of two men approaching the same dire situation from a subjective and objective perspective, much like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Jackman is unleashed, channeling Wolverine-style ferocity into a distraught father in search of his missing daughter and her friend. He’s like a bull with blinkers on, blinded by rage and pushed to the edge by what seems to him like an open and shut case with a prime suspect. Jackman’s performance is powerful, wading into dark waters as a troubled family man on a crusade for justice at all costs.

Gyllenhaal counterbalances Jackman’s unhinged morality and fury with a contemplative, precise and equally obsessive detective. The two butt heads along the way as Jackman’s biased behind-the-scenes quest for answers gets in the way of by-the-book policing, like a spontaneous version of Law-Abiding Citizen.  Gyllenhaal is just as tenacious as the detective with proven track record and manages to make headway with a calm and quietly confident resolve.

These two equal-opposite performances carry and dominate Prisoners so much that they overshadow an amazing supporting cast. Viola Davis plays a willful yet “neutral” wife and mother. Maria Bello is over-medicated and disabled by denial as her husband takes the law into his own hands. Terrence Howard is a reluctant right hand man and father. Melissa Leo tries to make sense of the crime as a concerned widow and Paul Dano gets the brunt of the ordeal as a prime suspect.

“If you don’t let my daughter go, I will find you… I will kill you.”

Prisoners is a beautifully-crafted thriller, comparable with Silence of the Lambs for mystery, intrigue, twists, turns and breadcrumb clues. As a brutal interrogation reminiscent of films like Rendition and Unthinkable plays out, our intrepid sleuth makes his way down a labyrinth in search of missing puzzle pieces. Instead of placing too much emphasis on a grand reveal, Villeneuve gently feeds the audience clues to make the investigation almost vicarious.

The use of torture and an ever-present sense of dread will make Prisoners an endurance test for sensitive viewers. However, the moral ambiguity keeps a healthy tension between the characters and makes it more thought-provoking than your average crime thriller. Based on an incompetent rendition of the Star-spangled Banner, torture and reckless power plays, it seems Villeneuve is hinting at a much broader allegory for American international policy in Prisoners.

Prisoners is an immense film, backed by Oscar-worthy co-lead performances and deft direction in an intriguing mystery fraught with moral dilemnas. Part character study, part crime drama and part high stakes thriller, this saga leaves you astounded, entertained and deeply conflicted. It’s not easy-viewing and will definitely challenge you.

The bottom line: Immense

Release date: 11 October, 2013
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