Prisoners

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Prisoners

R

Released Sep 20, 2013

2h 33m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

250 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

Full Review

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

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Alexander S

Prisoners is Denis Villeneuve’s masterfully directed and daunting narrative, guided by exceptional performances from Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, and the entire cast as this immersive experience delves into an intense ordeal, captivating the audience through the characters’ struggles and their unwavering determination to fight for their beliefs. Grading: A+

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

Buck M

Prisoners is a devastating ordeal through the Villeneuve's impressionistic prism. It's a testament to all involved that you want to revisit the ugliness of the story for the artistry of its construction.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/07/25

Full Review

Gregory S

This was just an incredible movie. Everything from script, cinematography, acting, everything is master class.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/05/25

Full Review

Kazi Z

Masterpiece.This is inspiration movie. This movie gives me a great learn.this movie i never forgot. I give this movie 4.5. i would give 5 but this violence rate is too low. It’s a well teach movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/23/25

Full Review

Joe M.

dark, deeply emotional, and a modern masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/22/25

Full Review

Hollis Q

There is a level of bleakness to Villeneuve's film that one usually only sees in the film cultures of Japan and South Korea - a willingness to take a narrative one step further than its audience might be comfortable taking.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/21/25

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

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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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