Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners was a movie that was very difficult sit through, but also so engaging that I couldn’t stop watching it.. On Thanksgiving day, while the Dover family are at the Birch’s for dinner, the youngest daughters of both suddenly are nowhere to be found. Of course, both sets of parents don’t think it’s serious at first, but as more time goes by, the panic begins to set in.. The terror unfolds, almost in slow motion, as we see these parents search frantically for their children to no avail. I’m not at a parent, but I can’t begin to imagine the sheer terror that would run through me every second that my child was missing.

The police are naturally called in, led by Detective Loki, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. His character seems rather aloof at first, looking at his phone, and taking notes nonchalantly. We’re told that he’s solved every case that he’s taken, so perhaps that can also explain his demeanor here. That doesn’t go over well with Keller Dover, played by Hugh Jackman, who doesn’t think Loki and company are doing enough.

Hugh Jackman gives one of the best performance of his career here. He brings a level of ferocity, and intensity that makes Wolverine look a little tame by comparison. Jake Gyllenhaal is also superb as the tireless detective who becomes obsessed with trying to find the missing girls. Both of their characters are often at odds with one another, with Keller wanting to take the law into his own hands, while Loki is trying his best to do things by the book. Ultimately they both want the same thing. As certain events unfold, and a suspect emerges, the movie will have you questioning how far a parent would and should go, if they thought it would bring back their child. Not only does Keller cross a line here, but so do the Birch parents, played by Viola Davis, and Terrence Howard.

Paul Dano, who plays the potential suspect, is incredible in the role. Dano nails the cerebral, and calculating, yet mentally unstable traits of his character perfectly. It might as well have been a rehearsal for his more recent role of The Riddler in The Batman (2022).

Prisoners has multiple threads that at first seem unrelated, but as the movie progresses it’s hard not to think there’s some connection there.. It isn’t until the end that all of the puzzle pieces finally fall into their places, and we see the whole picture of how all of these characters were connected. The reveal was more disturbing than I initially imagined.

The pacing in this movie can be a little frustrating at times. Perhaps it’s just the neverending unease I felt watching it, but by the final act, things feel completely drawn out, and my anxiety levels were starting to peak. I won’t spoil the ending, but If you’re like me, you will be leaning forward in your seat, with your ears perked up, listening for a certain sound. Villeneuve leaves some aspects open to interpretation, which may frustrate some viewers, but for me, there can only be one interpretation, and I was satisfied by it.

As an aside, I can also say Prisoners pairs well with Zodiac. While one is based on a true story of a serial killer, and the other a fictional about children being abducted, the two play along the same wavelength. Police seemingly getting so close to possible suspects, only to find one dead end after one. Both also star Jake Gyllenhaal, and he even tries to solve puzzles in both movies.