Ted’s review published on Letterboxd:
“They didn’t cry until I left them.”
Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners is an intense yet fantastic movie that gripped me from start to finish.
I initially thought that this film may be too intense for me, but that’s really what made the film so gripping to watch. The plot was an absolute rollercoaster full of unforgiving anguish. It keeps you hooked for the whole film, constantly wondering what’ll happen next. It switched from depressing and hopeless to nerve-wrecking and harrowing rapidly, creating a powerful impact in its runtime. And it tops it all off with an insane final act.
The script was excellent, and created some extremely heavy-going scenes. It also makes for some great characters, the strongest being Hugh Jackman’s character, Keller Dover. His complexity and desperation was brought to life brilliantly by the script, and boosted even more by Hugh Jackman’s phenomenal performance. His rage scenes were terrifying and created some unforgettable moments.
There are other great performances such as Paul Dano, who played his part excellently, and Jake Gyllenhaal as Detective Loki. Normally Jake Gyllenhaal dominates the screen and makes the other actors look inferior, but he was definitely outshined by the powerhouse that is Hugh Jackman. He was still great though, and also performed some great bursts of rage that added to the film’s potency.
The cinematography in this film was outstanding. Every shot enhanced the film’s mysterious nature and painted a despairing world that was the perfect backdrop for the movie. It was eye-catching and hauntingly beautiful.
It’s very dark and disturbing, but is also a great piece of art that strings the viewer along successfully. One of Villeneuve’s finest.
Villeneuve RANKED
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