Prisoners

UK Release Date: 27 September 2013

Certification: 15

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Cast: Maria Bello, Paul Dano, David Dastmalchian, Viola Davis, Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, Hugh Jackman, Melissa Leo 

Rating: 98%

My brilliant introduction to Denis Villeneuve. 

Review:

In my opinion, the main takeaway after watching Prisoners is that Denis Villeneuve is an utterly brilliant and insanely talented director. Not only is his filmography utterly impressive from top to bottom with Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and the unreleased but eagerly anticipated Dune standing out. But also the deliberate choice of shots and filming techniques increases the tension and suspense - credit to cinematographer, Roger Deakins, for being able to depict Denis Villeneuve's vision. And although this was my first time seeing one of his movie's, I can't wait to watch what else he has to offer. 

Every time I see Jake Gyllenhaal on screen, I'm more and more take aback by how skilled of an actor he is. I was first exposed to him in Spider-Man: Far From Home and have since seen his breathtaking performance in Nightcrawler, so I already had seen a glimpse of his talent. But from what I've seen so far, Prisoners is his standout performance. His character (Detective Loki) is complex as well as interesting and Gyllehaal is able to add his own quirks that made him standout that little bit more. 

The rest of the cast is exceptional. Hugh Jackman is one of my favourite actors - from the X-Men franchise to The Prestige - and that continued to be the case after Prisoners. I loved just how emotional and passionate his performance was as Keller Dover even if I didn't relate with the methods his character used to gain information on the whereabouts of his daughter. It was also nice to see Terrence Howard and Viola Davis in a movie other than their comic book ventures, with the two both adding their own sense of dread and fright.  

Prisoners isn't a horror movie, It's a physiological thriller about the kidnapping of two young girls. But I have never been more afraid whilst watching a movie, I still get chills when revisiting the trailer. I was on the edge of my seat whenever new information was unveiled or discovered. Jóhan Jóhannsson's score benefited these anxious feelings as the music increased the tension, suspense and stress - 'Escape' and 'Through Falling Snow' being the prime examples. Prisoners also is very well shot by the previously mentioned Roger Deakins with each shot being purposeful and subtle allowing an anxious atmosphere to be created.

The only slight nitpick I have with the movie is that in my opinion it could have been five or ten minutes longer just to put beyond doubt that Keller Dover was found. However, I understand why it ended were it did because any other conclusion wouldn't have been satisfying or even in line with the movie's rules. 

I feel that everyone involved with Prisoners and the movie itself deserves more recognition but I believe that Prisoners is a must watch, harrowing experience that I loved every second of.