Prisoners
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Viola Davis, Terrence Howard
How far would you go to protect your child? This is the question that Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) must contemplate when his daughter, Anna, vanishes without a trace. As he journeys deeper into the dark labyrinth of fear and blind hysteria in a desperate quest to find his missing daughter, Keller must battle his own secret demons and hold his family together before they are all consumed in the fire that threatens to shatter all of their lives forever.
Grief is one of the strongest themes in the film. What stood out most in the film, however, is the way grief which is reflected differently in each of the individual parents as they deal with the tragedy which follows in the wake of the children’s disappearance. While all of the parents are deeply affected by the disappearance of the children, Hugh Jackman’s character, Keller, stood out to me as individual whose anguish pierced the essence of his heart the deepest. The irony of Keller’s character is that while, as a survivalist, he is prepared for almost any form of calamity, he is powerless against the entity that seeks to rob him of what he cherishes most: his child. While Keller’s purpose is not to be the villain, but rather, to be his daughter’s protector, Keller’s worry is transformed into something much more malignant and the agony in his heart slowly consumes him.
The labyrinth is one of the most significant themes in Prisoners. Not only do the parents have to navigate the physical labyrinth that stands between them and their missing daughters, they must also navigate an emotional labyrinth as well. While they must come to terms with the excruciating pain of the children’s disappearance, the greater challenge that the parents must face is dealing with the residual emotions that linger in the aftermath of tragedy. When they discover the identity of the man who is potentially responsible for the children’s disappearance, Keller becomes obsessed with proving the man’s guilt…and his obsession reaches such a malevolent fervor that even the other parents begin to question the integrity of Keller’s motives. Ironically, the twisted truth of the villain’s identity will draw Keller so deep into the maze that it is uncertain whether he or the children will ever be truly restored.
The movie Prisoners is by far one of the most intensely powerful and chilling suspense thrillers I have ever witnessed. The casting is one of the strongest assets of the film, but Hugh Jackman’s performance as the grief-stricken father, Keller, is one of his most powerful performances to date. The story is an inspiring feat of creativity, combining chilling suspense with just enough heartfelt emotion to keep the audience entranced. While not a film for the fainthearted, I would highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys suspenseful storytelling at its best.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Viola Davis, Terrence Howard
How far would you go to protect your child? This is the question that Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) must contemplate when his daughter, Anna, vanishes without a trace. As he journeys deeper into the dark labyrinth of fear and blind hysteria in a desperate quest to find his missing daughter, Keller must battle his own secret demons and hold his family together before they are all consumed in the fire that threatens to shatter all of their lives forever.
Grief is one of the strongest themes in the film. What stood out most in the film, however, is the way grief which is reflected differently in each of the individual parents as they deal with the tragedy which follows in the wake of the children’s disappearance. While all of the parents are deeply affected by the disappearance of the children, Hugh Jackman’s character, Keller, stood out to me as individual whose anguish pierced the essence of his heart the deepest. The irony of Keller’s character is that while, as a survivalist, he is prepared for almost any form of calamity, he is powerless against the entity that seeks to rob him of what he cherishes most: his child. While Keller’s purpose is not to be the villain, but rather, to be his daughter’s protector, Keller’s worry is transformed into something much more malignant and the agony in his heart slowly consumes him.
The labyrinth is one of the most significant themes in Prisoners. Not only do the parents have to navigate the physical labyrinth that stands between them and their missing daughters, they must also navigate an emotional labyrinth as well. While they must come to terms with the excruciating pain of the children’s disappearance, the greater challenge that the parents must face is dealing with the residual emotions that linger in the aftermath of tragedy. When they discover the identity of the man who is potentially responsible for the children’s disappearance, Keller becomes obsessed with proving the man’s guilt…and his obsession reaches such a malevolent fervor that even the other parents begin to question the integrity of Keller’s motives. Ironically, the twisted truth of the villain’s identity will draw Keller so deep into the maze that it is uncertain whether he or the children will ever be truly restored.
The movie Prisoners is by far one of the most intensely powerful and chilling suspense thrillers I have ever witnessed. The casting is one of the strongest assets of the film, but Hugh Jackman’s performance as the grief-stricken father, Keller, is one of his most powerful performances to date. The story is an inspiring feat of creativity, combining chilling suspense with just enough heartfelt emotion to keep the audience entranced. While not a film for the fainthearted, I would highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys suspenseful storytelling at its best.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.