Prisoners 2013
8.1 / 10
Prisoners
Keller Dover is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street.
Keller Dover is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street.
Videos & Photos
All 2 Videos & 85 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Keller Dover
... Detective Loki
... Grace Dover
... Franklin Birch
... Alex Jones
... Nancy Birch
User reviews
See All 8 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by Andres Gomez
Really intense and well done thriller. One of the few in the last years with great performances by Jackman, Gyllenhaal and Dano. It also has some content to chew. I really enjoyed watching it.
Release Date:
Sep 19, 2013 (United States)
Run Time:
2hr 33`
MMPA Rating:
R
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
Prisoners
Really intense and well done thriller. One of the few in the last years with great performances by Jackman, Gyllenhaal and Dano. It also has some content to chew. I really enjoyed watching it.
Certainly Villenueve's most accessible film, but still a very good one. Final rating:★★★½ - I strongly recommend you make the time.
What a powerful film and what a great acting. I just couldn't help rewinding various scenes throughout, especially when Jackman's character showed anger and frustration for either his child being abducted or having what he thought was the culprit being tortured, although getting nowhere. Definitely a must for Mystery/Drama. 8/10
MUST SEE MOVIES BEFORE YOU DIE, another masterpiece by Hugh Jackman, surprising plot-twist!!
Be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best. Pray for the best, but prepare for the worst. Prisoners is directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Aaron Guzikowski. It stars Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Terence Howard, Maria Bello, Melissa Leo and Paul Dano. Music is by Jóhann Jóhannsson and cinematography by Roger Deakins. When Keller Dover's (Jackman) daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands... At first glance of the plot synopis, one could be forgiven for thinking this is yet another revenge thriller filled out by police procedural side-bars. How pleasant to find that Prisoners has more to offer than a simple who is the criminal? And just how far will a vengeful father go to satiate his grief?. Prisoners is such an apt title because all the main players here are trapped by either mental fragility or victims of their innocence, guilt or chaotic impulses. It's a multi stranded character piece that poses many questions, while of course it has a big mystery element. The narrative features a whole host of clues that might be something, or not, unanswered questions dangle throughout until the finale reveals thge edgy secrets. It's safe to say that the themes at work here are dark and upsetting, with the core abduction thread siddling up against horredous back stories, torture and religious mania. Gruzikowski's screenplay is quality, mesmerising even, there's no lazy filler or extranous sequences, even as the jigsaw pieces are put together in the last quarter, you may find yourself wondering how you missed something so simple?. This was Villeneuve's first English language picture, and it's not hard to see why he was highly touted as one of the next big director beings - his output that followed subsequently bears this out. His control of mood and pacing is superb, his garnering of high quality perfs from his cast (notably Jackman and Gyllenhaal) is impressive, and his teaming with the great Deakins is a match made in photographic heaven. This is adult film making, a thriller designed to illicit emotional responses from the audience. Relentless and powerful, a troubling examination of the human conditioning in various guises - and we are witnesses. 9/10
**This heavy film is not for everyone but for those that enjoy suspenseful crime cinema, this is one of the absolute best.** A crime thriller that brilliantly manages its slow pace to create the same dread the characters feel in the hearts of the audience. Every passing second steals the parents' hope away that they could ever find their children alive. Everything about this movie emphasizes the story's emotion, from the acting and muted color tones to the sets and directing.
Prisoners is a carefully constructed labyrinth, deceptively simple and very clever. The material was nothing new even when the film was released, but director Denis Villeneuve (pre-Dune) and screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski work a few unexpected twists and turns into their maze to keep us on our toes. The key element, however, is Hugh Jackman’s career-best performance as Keller Dover, a father whose patience for police work quickly runs thin when Detective Loki (the always effective Jake Gyllenhaal) fails to find Dover’s kidnapped little daughter. It will surprise no one that Dover decides to take the law into his own hands, recruiting Franklin Birch (Terrence Howard), his best friend whose daughter has also gone missing, to kidnap the only suspect – whom the police has ruled out for the moment –, take him to an abandoned house, and beat a confession out of him. This is par for the course in the movies, but is it realistic? Can a father, however desperate he may be, really go from zero to psycho in no time flat? The film makes this transition 50% more believable by making the character a committed survivalist, meaning that he was halfway there all along. And even if we still found it hard to believe, Jackman would just browbeat us into believing it with a sadistic, ballistic, animalistic skin-shedding, raw nerve-baring performance wherein he doesn't just go berserk; he goes full on Beserker. In some twisted way, all this makes sense; the antagonist or antagonists are just as crazy as Dover, if not more: making children disappear is their way of “making war with God”. With that in mind, who better than a monster to find a monster? Dover may not in fact be too far off either, or is he? In one of those twists I mentioned, the movie toys with the Law of Economy of Characters by casting Paul Dano as the mentally challenged man on whom Dover’s suspicions (and fists, among other objects) fall. Gyllenhaal’s work is as strong Jackman’s, but more subtle and nuanced; he gives his Loki an eye tic which lets us know that, although he has solved all his cases, and belying his usual calm and collected demeanor, he has not gotten to where he is without some traumas of his own.
Prisoners is a largely generic revenge / suspense / mystery "they have my kid" tale with a predictable plot that gives itself away too early. No attempt at realism, this is Scooby-Doo style investigation - lie detectors are treated seriously, "bad guys" are largely 1-dimensional with poorly explained motives designed to surprise rather than give insight, etc. It tries to make up for this in a few ways: a) bump up the intensity of scenes (comes across forced and awkward), b) add extra violence and dark semi-religious symbolism (seems out of place and largely meaningless), and most importantly c) maintain an air of mystery by throwing left-field plot points at you every 3-5 minutes to keep your attention. If you carefully note the clues, about half way through the film it strongly indicates the finale. After that the air of mystery that keeps the film feeling suspenseful largely dissolves and you are left with what feels like a AI-generated script desperately trying and failing to throw you off the initial clues. The film's greatest redeeming quality is its attempt to turn some revenge film character archetypes on their head. It is not always successful, but the attempt to break cliches is always welcome! I suspect a much better film will be inspired by this.
Cast & Crew of
Prisoners
Directors & Credit Writers
... Second Second Assistant Director
... First Assistant Director
... Director
Cast
... Keller Dover
... Detective Loki
... Grace Dover
... Franklin Birch
... Alex Jones
... Nancy Birch
... Holly Jones
... Ralph Dover
... Eliza Birch
... Captain Richard O'Malley
... Bob Taylor
... Father Patrick Dunn
... Mrs. Milland
... Anna Dover
... Joy Birch
... Officer Carter
... Officer Wedge
... Forensics Guy
... Check Out Girl
TT
Todd Truley... Detective Chemelinski
Produced By
KD
Kira Davis... Producer
... Post Production Coordinator
JHS
John H. Starke... Executive Producer
Videos & Photos of
Prisoners
Videos ( 2)
![thumbnail-Prisoners - Official Trailer 1 [HD]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2SupordEUpw/hqdefault.jpg)
Photos ( 85 )
Related Movies To
Prisoners
Kraven the Hunter (2024)
0 /10
Kraven Kravinoff's complex relationship with his ruthless gangster father, Nikolai, starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.
Run Time: 2hr 7` . MMPA: R . Release: 11 Dec 2024
Director: J.C. Chandor , Paula Casarin , Dominic Fysh
Producer: David B. Householter , Ben Grund , Mary Vernieu
Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Russell Crowe , Ariana DeBose , Fred Hechinger , Alessandro Nivola , Christopher Abbott
Gladiator II (2024)
0 /10
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Run Time: 2hr 28` . MMPA: R / PG-13 . Release: 05 Nov 2024
Director: Jaafar Ameur , Dylan Henricson , Ridley Scott
Producer: Georgia Jones , Walter F. Parkes , Nath Rodriguez
Stars: Paul Mescal , Fred Hechinger , Denzel Washington , Connie Nielsen , Joseph Quinn , Pedro Pascal
Wicked (2024)
0 /10
In the land of Oz, ostracized and misunderstood green-skinned Elphaba is forced to share a room with the popular aristocrat Glinda at Shiz University, and the two's unlikely friendship is tested as they begin to fulfill their respective destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Run Time: 2hr 42` . MMPA: PG . Release: 20 Nov 2024
Director: Jon M. Chu , Lisa Vick
Producer: Luke Mendes , Ryan Bernard Tymensky , George Ludlow
Stars: Cynthia Erivo , Ariana Grande , Jonathan Bailey , Jeff Goldblum , Michelle Yeoh , Ethan Slater
Werewolves (2024)
0 /10
A year after a supermoon’s light activated a dormant gene, transforming humans into bloodthirsty werewolves and causing nearly a billion deaths, the nightmare resurfaces as the supermoon rises again. Two scientists attempt to stop the mutation but fail and must now struggle to reach one of their family homes.
Run Time: 1hr 34` . MMPA: R . Release: 04 Dec 2024
Director: Steven C. Miller
Producer: Jimmy Cummings , Michelle Lewitt , Amanda Kiely
Stars: Frank Grillo , Katrina Law , Ilfenesh Hadera , Sam Daly , James Kyson , Lou Diamond Phillips
Dirty Angels (2024)
0 /10
During the United States' 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, a group of female soldiers posing as medical relief are sent back in to rescue a group of kidnapped teenagers caught between ISIS and the Taliban.
Run Time: 1hr 44` . MMPA: R . Release: 11 Dec 2024
Director: Antony Tanev , Martin Campbell , Margarita Aneva
Producer: Trevor Short , Regina Seifert , Yanko Ushatov
Stars: Eva Green , Ruby Rose , Maria Bakalova , Christopher Backus , Reza Brojerdi , Jojo T. Gibbs
Elevation (2024)
0 /10
A single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy.
Run Time: 1hr 31` . MMPA: R . Release: 07 Nov 2024
Director: George Nolfi
Producer: Carl Beyer , Jason Spire , Samuel Hall
Stars: Anthony Mackie , Morena Baccarin , Maddie Hasson , Danny Boyd Jr. , Rachel Nicks , Shauna Earp
Aftermath (2024)
0 /10
A returning war veteran, stricken with PTSD, gets trapped with his teenage sister on Boston's Tobin Memorial Bridge when a heavily armed group of ex-military revolutionaries take everyone hostage.
Run Time: 1hr 35` . MMPA: R . Release: 27 Sep 2024
Director: Patrick Lussier
Producer: Nancy Nayor , Brett Duffy , Lucas Jarach
Stars: Mason Gooding , Dylan Sprouse , Dichen Lachman , Megan Stott , Kevin Chapman , Will Lyman
Nosferatu (2024)
0 /10
A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
Run Time: 2hr 13` . MMPA: R . Release: 25 Dec 2024
Director: Jan Cajzl , Giulia Patanè , Robert Eggers
Producer: Marie Veverková , David Minkowski , Miroslav Tupý
Stars: Bill Skarsgård , Lily-Rose Depp , Nicholas Hoult , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Emma Corrin , Willem Dafoe
Heretic (2024)
0 /10
Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed, becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
Run Time: 1hr 51` . MMPA: R . Release: 31 Oct 2024
Director: Richard Cowan , Scott Beck , Bryan Woods
Producer: Scott Beck , Katie Aquino , Heather McGowan
Stars: Chloe East , Hugh Grant , Sophie Thatcher , Elle McKinnon , Topher Grace , Steven Seagal
Carry-On (2024)
0 /10
An airport security officer races to outsmart a mysterious traveler forcing him to let a dangerous item slip onto a Christmas Eve flight.
Run Time: 2hr . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 05 Dec 2024
Director: Josh Stephenson , Kevin O'Neill , Benita Allen
Producer: Lee Pierce , Jazmyn Tanski , Tracy Jennings
Stars: Taron Egerton , Jason Bateman , Sofia Carson , Dean Norris , Danielle Deadwyler , Theo Rossi
Memoir of a Snail (2024)
0 /10
Forcibly separated from her twin brother when they are orphaned, a melancholic misfit learns how to find confidence within herself amid the clutter of misfortunes and everyday life.
Run Time: 1hr 34` . MMPA: R . Release: 17 Oct 2024
Director: Adam Elliot
Producer: Braiden Asciak , Yohann Comte , Ricky Taing
Stars: Eric Bana , Sarah Snook , Jacki Weaver , Kodi Smit-McPhee , Dominique Pinon , Magda Szubanski
Absolution (2024)
0 /10
An aging ex-boxer gangster working as muscle for a Boston crime boss receives an upsetting diagnosis. Despite a faltering memory, he attempts to rectify the sins of his past and reconnect with his estranged children. He is determined to leave a positive legacy for his grandson, but the criminal underworld isn’t done with him and won’t loosen their grip willingly.
Run Time: 1hr 52` . MMPA: R . Release: 31 Oct 2024
Director: Daniel Lugo , Kit Conners , Hans Petter Moland
Producer: Mark Fitzgerald , Michael Swanton , Michael J. Rothstein
Stars: Liam Neeson , Ron Perlman , Daniel Diemer , Frankie Shaw , Yolonda Ross , Omar Moustafa Ghonim