Looking for the next gritty drama to put on your Oscar watchlist? Well my fellow cinephile, the new pictures released of Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal for the kidnap thriller Prisoners are nothing less than intense. The Denis Villeneuve-directed movie became a surprise hit at the Telluride Film Festival over the Labor Day weekend and is now heading to TIFF.
Prisoners focuses on Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman), a father, avid hunter and survivalist. When his 6-year-old daughter Anna (Erin Gerasimovich) goes missing – and the police led by Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) are forced to release the prime suspect in the kidnapping – Dover becomes a desperate man by taking matters into his own hands and embarking down a dark path that he may never return from.
Prisoners examines how far a parent will go to save their child and features an all-star cast. Aside from the aforementioned actors, the film also stars Terrence Howard, Viola Davis Paul Dano, Maria Bello and Melissa Leo.
The movie, which is already receiving rave reviews from critics, was just one of many hits that came out of Telluride. The Colorado based film festival has made a name and reputation for itself by premiering Oscar winners for best picture three years and counting, (Argo, The Artist, The King’s Speech). Will the streak continue? It just may.
While British director Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave is on everyone’s mind – seeing as it received a standing ovation during the festival – to be the frontrunner for the best picture Oscar, Prisoners has a near perfect Metacritic rating and may very likely get its own Oscar nod.
If you need further convincing, just look to what The Playlist critic Rodrigo Perez, who reviewed the film at Telluride, said of Prisoners:
“Far from the feel-good movie of the year, Prisoners is dark, disturbing, white-knuckle stuff with an unnerving shade of dread blanketed over almost every frame.”
Judging from the images released, he’s right on the money. Prisoners is dark and dismal. The photos showing a dreary-eyed, anguished, Hugh Jackman are powerful and downright scary. Additionally, Jake Gyllenhaal’s presence looks commanding and equally riveting.
Take a look for yourself below and check back tomorrow for our full review from TIFF.
