Denis Villeneuve is a director that's suddenly popped up in more recent years. Known for his 2000 indie film Maelström, but more recently surprising both critics and viewers with far more expensive and ambitious projects like Enemy, Sicario, and Arrival -- and we can't forgot about the challenging Blade Runner 2049 sequel.
Prisoners, released in 2013, was one that I for some reason failed to ever notice. In fact, prior to watching it, I had no knowledge of who was in the film (outside of the poster) or what the film was about. I don't often do this, but it's wonderful when the film is nothing but a pleasant surprise, exceeding all expectations; even when those expectations are low.
The film holds a strong sense of morality throughout, constantly testing the boundaries between right and wrong. It's dark, cold, and promotes this sense of dread among the characters; that this world is filled with evil that sometimes needs to be equally combated with the same evil. It displays the lengths some will go when pushed beyond their limits; and in this case, it's in the event that your daughter has been kidnapped, with few leads hinting at her possible location.
Prisoners' narrative follows a dark history of child abduction, and a strange maze-like game that resembles a large cult mentality: for the children held captive, they must solve the maze, or they die. Unknown to the vigilante fathers and the police, this strange turn of events that's occurred for decades slowly unravels before them. The characters and the performances push this surreal narrative to a realistic feel; with their anger and misguided sense of morality having the viewer actually feel they are in the right, that their actions are justified, and the others are not.
Jake Gyllenhaal's performance as a roughed-up cop -- Detective Loki -- that's never left a case unsolved is beyond astounding. His character's dedication to his job and ensuring justice by any means has a conflicting feel to it. Sometimes he's seen pushing his boundaries as a cop just a little too far, but one can't help but believe he's truly doing it for the best, perhaps for personal reasons unknown to the viewer. And Hugh Jackman's performance as a father willing to take all possibilities into consideration to ensure the return and safety of his daughter is both easy to connect with, but also frightening given the extremities.
That said, Paul Dano is forever a surprise on screen. His ability to perform as a wide range of characters lacking social skills and understanding is on another level. With his performance being both creepy, unnatural, and resulting in the viewer actually feeling sorry for our potential criminal. These performances only heighten the dark, moral-questioning narrative and excellent writing of Aaron Guzikowski. It's not a film to miss.
