Release Date: December 17, 2013
Rating: R
Running Time: 153 minutes

How far would you go to protect your family? Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) 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. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrests its driver, Alex Jones (Paul Dano), but a lack of evidence forces his release.

Prisoners is without a doubt one of the most fascinating films of 2013. This movie will stay with me forever. Maybe I’m biased since I’m passionate about the awareness of finding missing children but there’s no denying the talent in this movie, the magnificent and heart breaking writing, and the incredible directing by Denis Villeneuve. Woo. I absolutely loved the directing which is saying a lot since I don’t typically pay attention to who is directing unless it’s really good or not so good. The Academy Award nominations are next month and I will be highly disappointed if Villeneuve’s name isn’t acknowledged. If this film isn’t acknowledged. It’s earned its place at the Oscars. Tenfold.

My favorite aspect about the film was the number of prisoners. The two missing girls aren’t the only prisoners. Two other people are taken prisoner. The parents are in a mental and emotional prison. Detective Loki is a prisoner of this case. Yes, it’s his job but it takes its toll. The people holding the missing girls are prisoners to their twisted ideologies. Can I mention for a second just how phenomenal Melissa Leo is? What a chameleon. She can take on any role. Anyway, everyone is in a prison, not just the missing children but all caused by the act of these children being kidnapped. This movie is very realistic in that way, showing the mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion and distress caused by such an incredible heart wrenching situation.

Some scenes I found myself shaking my head without an end in sight just thinking about the heaviness on set these actors (most of which are parents in real life) had to carry around all day, the heaviness that lingered long after “Cut” was called out. My goodness. Is all I can say. My goodness.

Well over two hours long, Prisoners is a long movie but I didn’t mind because at least it reflects the reality of the situation. Finding a missing child isn’t a speedy process. It takes time, most times a very long time if the child is even found (and found alive). So while I typically loathe movies that are long, this felt necessary and fit. This was honest. Yes, it was draining but a situation like this is. So know what you’re walking into when you get ready to put this into your blu-ray or dvd player. Be ready. Prisoners packs quite a punch in the gut and is worth every single minute. So get your copy of Prisoners today and be prepared for an all too necessary reminder in this day and age of the danger lingering on the streets, even the “safe” ones but more importantly the determination, love, and hope that’s alive and well in all of us.

Bonus Features:

*Prisoners – Every Moment Matters (2 minutes) – While the title of this feature is intriguing, I think the movie speaks for itself and this 2 minute feature including brief interviews with the cast and crew really doesn’t add anything to the compelling nature of the film. Skip.

Appearing in this Feature:
Director, Denis Villeneuve
Producers, Kira Davis and Broderick Johnson
Cast Members, Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal

*Prisoners – Powerful Performances (10 minutes) – This feature on the other hand was a great look inside how the cast and crew tackled such heavy characters in such a heavy conflict. Though I might be biased as I always find it interesting to find out how the actors see their characters and the story they have a huge responsibility to tell as well as what their co-stars find captivating about each other’s acting and roles.

Appearing in this Feature:
Director, Denis Villeneuve
Producers, Kira Davis and Broderick Johnson
Cast Members, Viola Davis, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Hugh Jackman, Paul Dano, and Melissa Leo

Own Prisoners on Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital Download December 17, 2013.