Prisoners: A Denis Villeneuve masterpiece that deserves mainstream recognition

Denis Villeneuve has firmly established himself as one of the best filmmakers of this era. His artistry in editing and framing shots and reliance on stellar sound design to enhance storytelling place him on a pedestal reserved for the best auteurs in cinema history. While his recent films have been big-budget productions such as Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, and Dune, Villeneuve has also helmed indie projects that are just as compelling as those that garnered him mainstream recognition. One such indie film is the critically-acclaimed psychological thriller Prisoners.

The 2013 film features a star-studded ensemble led by Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhall, with Paul Dano, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, and Melissa Leo playing other prominent roles. The film focuses on the disappearance of two young girls during the Thanksgiving holiday. Hugh Jackman’s character Keller Dover, the father of one of the girls, decides to take the law into his own hands out of sheer desperation and his firm belief that the police are incompetent in solving the case. However, Detective Loki, played by Jake Gyllenhaal believes that their prime suspect Alex lacks the required IQ to plot a kidnapping as he is mentally challenged. The enraged Dover on the other hand is convinced that Alex is withholding information about the missing girls.

The narrative soon pivots to Dover kidnapping Alex and torturing him, hoping that he would cough up information that would lead him to the girls. These scenes emphasise how a seemingly ordinary person could resort to brutal violence when they find themselves in desperate circumstances. Paul Dano is rather extraordinary in his role as Alex and delivers a performance that eclipses the excellent performances by Jackman and Gyllenhaal, who are clearly the more popular actors in the cast.

Both Dover and Loki, despite their differences, eventually begin to unravel the mystery, albeit through independent avenues. Jackman’s Dover epitomises the idea of endurance and survival, while Gyllenhall’s Detective Loki signifies persistence. Villeneuve leans on symbolism throughout the film to add layers of intrigue and mystery to the narrative and its characters. The visual imagery and allegories elevate the third act, and the film's final scenes are arguably among the best in the psychological-thriller genre. Prisoners is most certainly an underrated masterpiece that you need to add to your watchlist right away.

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• Written by Ryan Gomez

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