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

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

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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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Saul J

Great suspenseful movie and would definitely recommend Amazing build up and great ending with exceptional acting

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/03/25

Full Review

Sabra P

Filmed like a horror film, and with a mood to match, Prisoners is haunting and will stick with you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/22/25

Full Review

Joseph M

Excellent mystery that asks the question how far will a parent go for their child.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

Full Review

Ryan n

Absolutely amazing. This is one of the best movies i have watched, but that cliff hanger, i hate it

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/07/25

Full Review

Devin T

I just saw an amazing indie film that reminded me of this film. The mood and feel of going through tragedy in a bleak town in the Midwest. The acting was superb! Jackman carries an all-star cast as this film kept me guessing till the very end. Just loved it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/03/25

Full Review

Nashville I.

One of the better suspense-inducing scripts in a long time. Before he was the Dune guy, Villaneuve did this very organic mystery that also managed to insert a couple ridiculous smart plot twists in the middle. The ending made perfect sense, but it was also camoflaged perfectly. One of the best mysteries you could ever watch.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/17/25

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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