I watched this movie for the first time in 2025, and here are my thoughts on Prisoners. But first, take a quick look at the movie overview before diving into my review.
- Tone: Grim, heavy, emotionally intense
- Length: 2h 33m
- Genre: Crime Thriller / Drama
- Premise: A father takes justice into his own hands after his daughter is abducted
- Setting: Rain-soaked suburbs of Pennsylvania
- Pacing: Slow burn with gripping tension
- Watch it for: Incredible acting, haunting atmosphere, moral dilemmas
- Trigger Warnings: Child abduction, violence, emotional distress
- Similar Vibes: Zodiac, Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone
Prisoners Movie Review
Prisoners is a 2013 thriller movie that was directed by Denis Villeneuve and stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman. The movie is brilliant.
Two little girls go missing in a quiet Pennsylvania town, and everything quickly unravels. Detective Loki (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) is put in charge of the case, but Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman), one of the girls’ dads, isn’t willing to just sit around and wait. As the search drags on, he takes things into his own hands—making some intense, morally messy choices that blur the lines between justice and revenge.
Even though the plot about two kids going missing and their search seems simple, the movie is anything but simple. It is shot, scored, and directed in a way that’ll keep you glued to your chair for the entirety of the two-and-a-half-hour movie.
My First Impressions
At the beginning of the movie, and after about 5–6 minutes, I thought it was going to be a slow-type boring movie with just a few key events throughout the film—and I was scared I wouldn’t be able to finish it and get bored. But as soon as the plot got going, I was fully engaged.
The moments in the movie were thrilling, and every important event was acted and presented in a realistic and engaging way. The score was also great—it perfectly complemented the scenes and kept the tone grounded while fully grabbing the viewer’s attention.
How Complex Was It?
The storyline about the investigation through Jake Gyllenhaal’s character “Loki,” and the desperation from Hugh’s character, along with his wife and friends, was presented in a believable way. We could see the happy family slowly dismantle before our eyes. The things Keller does to get his daughter back from Alex Jones felt out of bounds—but you understood why it was necessary for a desperate father.
The process of figuring out what could’ve happened to the kids and the unraveling of secrets throughout the movie was presented in a meaningful and gripping manner.
You actually wanted to join Detective Loki or get together with Keller Dover and get the truth out of the suspect.
Leading Actors
Hugh Jackman was excellent as the father of a missing kid, husband to a woman who started losing both her health and mind because of the incident, and father to a teenage son who was on the brink of unraveling from the pressure and emotions himself. He was constantly angry and didn’t hold back from letting people—including the cops—know exactly how he felt.
The standout for me was Jake Gyllenhaal. He played a detective who was really good at his job, and we got to see his process of handling cases. How he dove into things, and how the constant pressure from the victim’s family, the police department, and the burden of not being able to solve the crime affected him. He had a calm aura about him, but in his eyes, you could see a fire that wouldn’t die out until he uncovered the truth.
The supporting cast—Terrence Howard, Paul Dano, David Dastmalchian, Viola Davis, and Maria Bello—were all amazing.
Should You Watch Prisoners?
Even though the style of the movie was a slow burn, the pacing felt quick. The two and a half hours went by, and I never took my eyes off the screen. The buildup, the struggle, the frustration—all led to a satisfying ending that had you at the edge of your seat and made you feel thankful.
I fully recommend you give Prisoners (2013) a try. And, if you’ve already watched it what did you think about it?