3) Prisoners
Denis Villeneuve’s complex and compelling thriller is one of the most unshakable cinematic experiences of the year. Powered by two career-best performances by Jake Gyllenhaal, as the determined cop on the trail of two abducted children, and Hugh Jackman, as a grieving father who decides to take justice into his own hands, Prisoners is not just a thriller. It’s also an aggressively intelligent character study, as well as a meticulous dissection of society and justice. The greatest triumph of Prisoners is how it exposes both the savagery of human instinct and the folly of human desire to build order out of a very natural state of chaos.
Villeneuve’s devotion to establishing and maintaining a nauseatingly nightmarish atmosphere, coupled with the resounding strength of his cast’s performances, turns Prisoners into something exceedingly ambitious and memorable. Moral quagmires abound in Prisoners, and the way Villeneuve approaches them is both innovative and disturbing. Prisoners asks a lot of scary questions and poses even scarier answers, presenting itself as equal parts ethical mind-bender and relentless thriller. It’s bold, brutal and unforgettable.
Prisoners is one of the must-see films of 2013. In its refusal to give easy answers, its commitment to developing strong and believable characters and its determination to delve into the darker side of human nature, the film transcends the limitations of its genre to become something much more interesting, not to mention much better. Prisoners captivates, in all the best ways.
