Prisoners

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Prisoners

R

2013

2h 33m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

249 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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Critics Consensus

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

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Kate Stables

Sight & Sound

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.

Jul 31, 2018

Full Review

Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

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.

Jun 19, 2016

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Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

This film haunted me for days and weeks after seeing it, and the feeling still lingers.

Rated: A+

Apr 17, 2015

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Miles Surrey

The Ringer

The tense thriller that put its director on the map...

Sep 29, 2023

Full Review

Iván Kazi

EscribiendoCine

While the resolution is close to being predictable... the movie's strong suit is something else. The process, the content, and the journey are profoundly immersive. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 8/10

Dec 7, 2022

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

“Prisoners” offers some slick foreboding, crafty twists, and a satisfying ending.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 24, 2022

Full Review

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DAVID W

It's long, bleak and relentless. There are some good performances and gritty cinematography, and you are carried along for a time - it just about manages to make you suspend your disbelief until the end, but, perhaps, only just. It doesn't hold up to scrutiny on reflection. You won't want to watch it again, unless to pick holes in the plot, because it depends on the dénouement.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/17/25

Full Review

Erik V

Great lead actors. Fantastic all throughout. Really brings out the emotions from inside.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/14/25

Full Review

Tim B.

While the plot is problematic, the atmosphere and performances of Jackman and Gyllenhol make this dark mystery one of the best films of 2013.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/09/25

Full Review

Dillon B.

Phenomenal, one of the best thrillers ever made

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/30/25

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reedy c

must watch, a film that makes you think for hours

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/27/25

Full Review

Maarit L

The film would have benefited from a more disciplined direction, the story progressed in such a way that it was very difficult to follow the repetitive plot when feeling a bit tired. The character development was weak. However, the idea and basic storyline were good.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/25/25

Full Review

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Denis Villeneuve

Director

Hugh Jackman

Keller Dover

Jake Gyllenhaal

Det. Loki

Viola Davis

Nancy Birch

Maria Bello

Grace Dover

Terrence Howard

Franklin Birch

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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

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