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Prisoners

Play trailer Poster for Prisoners R 2013 2h 33m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
81% Tomatometer 248 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) faces a parent's worst nightmare when his 6-year-old daughter, Anna, and her friend go missing. The only lead is an old motorhome that had been parked on their street. The head of the investigation, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), arrests the driver (Paul Dano), but a lack of evidence forces Loki to release his only suspect. Dover, knowing that his daughter's life is at stake, decides that he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands.
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Prisoners

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Critics Consensus

Prisoners has an emotional complexity and a sense of dread that makes for absorbing (and disturbing) viewing.

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Critics Reviews

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Kate Stables Sight & Sound 07/31/2018
Guzikowski's well-honed thriller occasionally idles under Villeneuve's dark character studies, but the director's powerfully imposed mood of dread elevates what might otherwise have been just a superior police procedural. Go to Full Review
Jason Bailey Flavorwire 06/19/2016
An increasingly sloppy thriller, filled with obvious clues, laughable red herrings, and halfhearted "shock" reveals, played at a snail's pace that lets far too much air into the narrative. Go to Full Review
Chris Stuckmann ChrisStuckmann.com 04/17/2015
A+
This film haunted me for days and weeks after seeing it, and the feeling still lingers. Go to Full Review
Carla Renata The Curvy Film Critic Mar 24
PRISONERS, however, is the most jaw-dropping thriller I have seen in years!  It was absolutely thrilling, spellbinding and kept my attention from beginning to end. Go to Full Review
Miles Surrey The Ringer 09/29/2023
The tense thriller that put its director on the map... Go to Full Review
Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies 08/24/2022
4/5
“Prisoners” offers some slick foreboding, crafty twists, and a satisfying ending. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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R T @SUFIYANKHANN_ 17h This thriller pulls you in from the very first moment and never lets go. Instead of relying on constant action, it builds suspense through uncertainty, desperation, and difficult moral choices. Every character feels believable, and the story keeps you questioning what you would do in the same situation. The atmosphere is tense, the performances are outstanding, and the ending leaves a lasting impression long after the credits roll. See more Joanna T @aerialgirly92 2d Suspenseful movie about 2 kids who are abducted. The parents nearly lose their minds looking for them. A dad (Dover) even abducts the Alex guy who he thinks did it & tortures him. Turns out that an old lady Holly had been abducting the kids, giving them an impossible task like "solving mazes", promising them freedom but not giving it to them, thereby turning them into "demons" who turn on one another. Apparently she also used snakes to torture. She did this bc her son passed away from cancer so she wanted to "wage a war on god" by making demons. Parents also turn into demons looking for the kids. Her hubby passed away but he was in on this too. Alex was incompetent but wasnt responsible for Dover's kid. Holly was consumed by grief/her way of life so wanted to get caught & allowed cop to shoot her. The 2 kids are found & returned home :) everyone was in the wrong: Holly; violent crazy Dover; the detective who was a workaholic & let this case consume him. Eek. Extreme ppl See more Tristan B @tristan3 Jun 17 [BOT] Not for everyone but i adored it. See more Fiona H @FionaHayden Jun 2 Prisoners is a tense and emotionally exhausting thriller that keeps you invested from beginning to end. The story explores how far a parent will go when faced with the unthinkable and every decision carries real weight. Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal deliver outstanding performances, while the atmosphere remains dark, gripping and unsettling throughout. See more Gus C @GooseBruce May 31 A MASTERPIECE! Perfect thriller with a mind bending story! If you haven't seen it yet then it is now your number one priority. See more TWMax65 T. @RT38199094 May 7 An absolutely brilliant performance from Hugh Jackman and a mystery that will send shivers up and down your spine. I highly recommend this movie if you’re in the mood for an uncomfortably realistic thrill. One of the most tense and eerie movies I’ve ever seen! See more Read all reviews
Prisoners

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Movie Info

Synopsis Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) faces a parent's worst nightmare when his 6-year-old daughter, Anna, and her friend go missing. The only lead is an old motorhome that had been parked on their street. The head of the investigation, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), arrests the driver (Paul Dano), but a lack of evidence forces Loki to release his only suspect. Dover, knowing that his daughter's life is at stake, decides that he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands.
Director
Denis Villeneuve
Producer
Broderick Johnson, Kira Davis, Andrew A. Kosove, Adam Kolbrenner
Screenwriter
Aaron Guzikowski
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
8:38 Productions, Madhouse Entertainment
Rating
R (Language Throughout|Disturbing Violent Content|Torture)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 20, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 10, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$61.0M
Runtime
2h 33m
Sound Mix
Datasat, SDDS, Dolby Digital