On Prisoners

In 2011 the Denis Villeneuve directed Incendies was released (see June 29^th 2011) and was essential viewing. Two years later he has followed this overtly political film with something more covertly political, but equally as essential.

Prisoners is the story of child abduction in a small American town and the consequences this reaps on the families, the suspects and the police involved. Writer Aaron Guzikowski deserves huge credit for weaving this multi strand narrative together without dropping a beat; it’s never less than gripping. The acting from the two leads (Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal) is impeccable and they seem made for these roles, which seem they could have been written for anyone.

On the surface, Prisoners is a thriller of high quality, yet like Gyllenhaal’s earlier film, Zodiac (2007) there are shades of horror throughout and the eeriness of the film lingers long after the credits. Under the surface, Prisoners is a commentary on a Post 9/11 America; an America in a war on terror and an America under Republican rule, where ordinary citizens are taking up arms against their own individual wars. Extreme measures are taken by Jackman’s desperate father that draws direct links with questions of torture that have dogged American presidents for years. Guilt and accountability are qualities we should not easily assign, and Prisoners has the intelligence to comment on this without losing its mass audience appeal.