Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Prisoners
2013
****
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, Paul Dano

Two small girls, Anna and Joy, go missing. When the police release their main suspect, Anna's father decides to take the law into his own hands. Denis Villeneuve's first feature in English is a powerful, slow-burning thriller, which follows in the footsteps of In the Bedroom and Mystic River. Aaron Guzikowski's script questions whether ends can ever justify the means. It deals with a deeply personal tragedy, but is set in a post-9/11 America that is riddled with fear and paranoia. The performances are great and Roger Deakins' atmospheric cinematography makes this Pennsylvania neighbourhood look like the most miserable place in the world.