I immediately recognised it as Tourettes, i have it myself. Actually, I have a similar thing, but instead of blinking "hard" I just blink a lot. Like 100 times a minute lot.
I thought I was the only one that focused on the hairstyle. Especially when he got angry and broke the computer and all the little gel wisps were hanging over his face. Thank you so much for making me feel like less of a weirdo for enjoying that so much
My favorite scene is when Loki is driving to the hospital as fast as he can at night, in rain-snow storm, blood coming down his face and into his eyes with a dying Anna in the backseat, with such powerful escalating music playing. It was so gripping on every emotional level!
I was at the edge of my seat during that scene, terrified he was going to crash the car. I become emotional with relief when they arrived at the emergency room. I love how Loki was so selfless, he only cared about saving the little girl.
Indeed! They kept the scene playing and I realised I wanted the scene to skip like in other movies where they show a shot of the drive and then the relief of the arrival, but the scene just kept going so it felt alot more real and dangerous. I felt the same as the cop: "come on are we freaking there yet!? The girl is dying dammit!"
This Lazy Nigga holy shit.... you just blew my mind. Can you think of anyone else that looks so similar to Joel from Last of Us than Hugh Jackman (with the beard of course).
I really love the title because it REALLY fits. Everyone in the movie was a prisoner. The girls were prisoners to their captors, Jake Gyllenhaal was a prisoner to the case, Paul Dano was a prisoner to Hugh Jackman, Hugh Jackman's wife was a prisoner to her emotions, and Hugh Jackman was a prisoner to himself.
I couldn't agree more! Add to it that at the end Hugh Jackman becomes a prisoner of the abducting aunt AND is probably going to real jail to be a prisoner again once he gets out. Have to admit though: I didn't understand the title at the beginning, but it became more and more fitting to me once the movie went on.
I remember that a friend told me "I almost died from a heart attack while watching this movie, I was so tense" and I thought he was exaggerating. Then I saw it and I was literally screaming to my tv at the end of this movie. Excellent movie.
This film deserved to be nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (for Jackman or Gyllenhall...Hell break the minds of critics and give them both one xD )
Totally, Gravity was amateur, good special effects don't make a movie good, a good story does. This movie was brilliant and deserved none of the snubbing it got.
The best ones do. The Oscars are a joke. It's a compliment not to be nominated. Those titles are purchased so they can slap it on the cover and increase sales.
Prestige and Prisoners where awesome, even though I didn't like the prestiges ending. Every magic trick was realistic and made sense, except the tesla one.
jackman said in an interview, when he watched this movie together with his wife at the premier, his wife was holding his hand in the beginning and half way through she actually let go of his hand. his performance was that good! i think he should do more movies like this, different from his wolverine character. he has so much more talent and layers to his acting, its sad to see it being so underutalised.
Jurij Fedorov Yeah i totally agree. Prisoners, Nightcrawler, Enemy, Donnie Darco (and to lesser extend imo) End of Watch are freaking great and always have something deep about them. Haven´t seen all his movies tho. Zodiac and Brokeback Mountain seem to be good aswell
SirStevetheCreep No, no, no... Zodiac is GREAT. You really need to see that movie. Watch the director's cut too. Its over 3 hours long but I guarantee you it never gets boring.
Totally. JG has really been flexing his acting skills this last few years. This movie, Enemy, Southpaw, Zodiac, Source Code, NIghtcrawler, End of Watch...
After watching Brokeback Mountain, Zodiac, Prisoners, End of Watch and Donnie Darko I know that Jake Gyllenhall is one of the best actors working today. He has had stinkers but then of course so has Matthew McConaughey and look at him now.
Conor Sullivan Reviews I agree, this and The Prestige were Hugh's greatest acting roles. The way he was in Prisoners is the type of father every man should strive to be. Loki was a great detective but the rest of the PSP (PA state police) were bubbling idiots, trying to pass the buck and shirk their duties like always.
Boneax _ I love the film because there IS no "right or wrong" answer. Had Keller Dover not broken the law and taken matters into his own hands, his daughter and the other girl almost certainly would've died. However, it was the detective who saved his daughter when he was unable to. Loki was a smart detective I think he most likely rescued Keller (earlier in the film we see him suspiciously checking out the pit with the car above it before the old woman stops him).
SPOILERS: Can I say I was so heartbroken for "Alex"? That kid already had crazy trauma from being abducted for 26 years. Could he ever imagine that things would get worse and he'd be abducted AGAIN?! And brutally beaten to boot?! If anyone's going to kill a few people later on in life it's him. I would hate to see the monster that one person with those experiences could become.
LadyJay882-Same here, and I can't believe there are people who saw the film and actually thought that Hugh Jackman's character was right to do what he did when the movie clearly shows you he was absolutely in the wrong. The fact is no matter how suspicious Alex may have appeared the horrific torture Hugh Jackman's character puts Alex through is still completely wrong no matter how desperate he was to find his daughter, & his actions were unforgivable. And the worst part is Hugh Jackman's character was wrong about Alex all along &, as you pointed out, poor Alex was in fact innocent and a victim of the real kidnapper himself & will now never truly ever be able to live a normal life as he's experienced way too much trauma & will suffer the mental scars of that forever.
kirsty fairley You realize when he first starts torturing Alex it’s just a father trying to find his daughter, but the more you see the crap he does you realize how much he’s really losing himself and is becoming a monster.
I hated him so much for the first 2 hours, like had genuine hate for his character when you thought he was behind it, and then when the twist cam I felt so bad Paul Dano did a crazy good job acting
@@sherlockfan2000 Honestly, after my most recent rewatch of Prisoners, I’ve come to believe that Kellers abduction of Alex ended up saving his daughter and her friend. Sure it was messed up, but it was not only understandable giving the circumstances, but also (in the end) morbidly necessary. After all, Holly admitted that she would’ve left the girls in the pit if it had not been for the loneliness she felt when Alex went missing. Joy would therefore not have escaped, and the following events that led to the ultimate resolution would arguably never have happened. I really like the movies grey-area exploration. I have to agree with Kellers wife - I glad he did what he did, even though it was incredibly disturbing to say the least.
@@patrickmoore8890 I felt bad pretty quickly to be honest. I mean he was mentally disabled and its pretty clear that even if he was guilty that he's not to blame. The reveal that the reason he doesn't talk was because of his trauma was a punch to the gut though
***SPOILERS***I loved the ending, but...I saw it comming and I thought it wasn't possible. The police would tear the place appart like with any discovery of a serial killer's hide out. There's no way they would not move that car or have dogs arround.
This is just my theory but heres the possibilities of what might happen. Keller was in there with hardly any air because the hole was blocked off and only used for when the police came so the old woman could hide the children. He's technically been there for a whole day and air is running out since the woman said he would last 24 hours. So maybe on his last breaths he blew the whistle thinking the detective could hear it (which he does) so the possibilities are he dies and they find him or the detective finds him and takes him to hospital then he goes to jail.
Harry Banova right! But I think the woman told him to mak himself a tourniket so that he couldlast 24h with a bulletwound. The cave seemed large enough to me. plus, dogs would certainly sniff him out.
+Harry Banova I think the air wouldnt have been a problem. The police might not tear the place apart the very same day the whole thing happened, they need to get permissions maybe, or the right men have to be available with the right tools, not to ruin the evidence with amateurs. 24 hours is not a long time in a small town like that. Im not an expert on the subject or anything, but it seems entirely possible to me, that the police wouldnt tear the place apart so soon.
Bálint Ujvári It's discovered that it was the home of a serial killer. If it leaks to the media, they better have the entire police station's staff over there at least to secure the site. plus, there is still one man missing and they know he was searching for that place and had one of it's resident as...a prisoner. The police also know that some victimes were kept alive. They better be serching the place thouroughly in my opinion. There's an old car in the back yard with recent tire marks. I'm no detective but someone should have been looking under it.
I literally got creep/thrills as the Alex Jones character was subjected to so much physical abuse-- that literally brought the Hugh Jackman character through a perfect story arc... AMAZING MOVIE!
I remember watching this movie. It was so dark, dramatic and catastrophic that I couldn't breathe properly most of the time. I needed 2 or 3 days to sink in. It is a movie which you can't forget that quick. I remember feeling devastated and broken. I wouldn't bare to watch it for a second time. Don't if I would survive a second time. It is just too intense.
Miner4Life99 He is the DiCaprio of DP's. But the Academy is BS anyway. You can do a career of nothing but stellar work and lose to people who have one good movie. Look at all the Oscar winners that won and never did anything good again. It's pretty sad.
abisz007007 Have you seen Sicario by the same director? While not as True Detective-y, I got a similar vibe from it - starts off with spooky murders, tense moments in a bleak setting, and one lone cop stepping out of line in pursuit of the truth.
SPOILERS!!!: I know he was slow and I feel bad, but, I wish he would have just talked more. They could have found the kids way sooner. Det. Loki would have put 2 and 2 together. The mazes from that suicidal guy, the maze Alex was talking about, and the maze on that serial killer's necklace...Actually, if Det. Loki and Mr. Dover exchanged info once in a while, they would have easily solved the case...(but I know that can't happen and it's a movie)
+Zukie8: Yes, it was frustrating that he was so clammed-up. But I think it was to show just how badly damaged he'd been by those bastards. At the end, his poor mom! Her son might "come home" physically,but the son she lost is dead.Her grief is just beginning.
Loki wouldn’t have gone back to the aunties house to inform/talk to her,if he hadn’t discovered that guy being tortured. Basically the girl would have died if he found out any later. In the end the dad did save his daughter by giving the detective a reason to visit the auntie at the right moment
Dennis Villeneuve is easily the best director of this decade. Has all the makings of a Fincher style of directing and i love that he keeps teaming with Deacon. Cannot wait for Arrival (also, its interesting how he changes the formula for each film he has directed whilst still maintaining that sense of dread and amazing tension)
This movie is my favorite movie I have ever seen. I had goosebumps almost the entire time, it was just the hardest movie to watch and think this is happening in life.
I think me and Chris Stuckman have much more similar tastes than me and that Jeremy Jahns dude. "Mud", "Place Beyond the Pines", and "Prisoners" are EASILY the 3 best films I have seen this year. When a film leaves you speechless, sitting there just thinking and pondering as the credits role, you KNOW it's a good film. All 3 of these have done that with me.
I really liked thsi film I don’t watch films anymore I am 22 now but when I was young and lived at home I watched many films this was up there for sure I loved
If they make a fourth season of True Detective, I'd love to see Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman as the two main detectives. Based on their performances and chemistry in this movie I think that would be incredible.
Massively overrated. The characters if you can call them that are just a pain to hear their stupid dialogue. But this is not the time or the place to rant about the twilight saga. Prisoners proves the how vital a gray character is to elevating drama. five stars.
I want a franchise with Detective Loki. This movie made me begin to cry in the last act when the newspaper was shown. I literally was balling my hands into fists because I wanted to see what happened in the end after that. Pure masterpiece.
Seeing the number of Jake Gyllenhaal films in your A+ playlist is making me so happy. He picks stunning and interesting roles in such a variety of genres and it's insane he hasn't won an Oscar already.
Please do an analyzed review of this brilliant film. Seeing as though this is ur favorite movie of of the year and is filled with amazing symbolism and great meaning, it only makes sense for u to delve deep into this movie. Please take this into consideration and keep on doing ur amazing work. You're a true inspiration to me when it comes to wanting to work in film. Thanks for everything.
This movie was awesome and epic, this together with se7en and True detective is my 3 favorite Crime dramas. The ending is crazy good in this movie, it just troubles me so much i can get it out of my head, argh! Great ending, we didnt need to see anymore an open ending is good when you do it right, and boy did they nail it! Its just... fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!
Liked your review. Felt I'd throw out a couple of things though. I wish you talked about: The nervous twitch of Loki. I won't rule out that you didn't, as it's 5 a.m. but I don't think you did. It's a very interesting character trait. I wish you could have at least mentioned it as I see very few reviewers/critics bring it up. Sound. Hugh Jackman - I'm not sure how many exactly - breaks the sound level of the mic several times throughout the film. It would have been at least interesting to hear your thoughts on why they left it in the film, as it almost deliberately pulls you away from the movie. In my opinion, it's a subliminal break. There's very little comic relief despite the 2 and a half hour run time. So when Jackman breaks the mic's level (most notable one for me if you want to hear for yourself is in the house, Jackman first meets Gyllenhaal and during his shouting you can hear it) you almost subconsciously relax a little. Circular themes. This was one of the most tightly written screenplays I've seen in a long time. It wasn't obnoxiously tight, like Hot Fuzz where EVERY LINE means something, but it had a cyclical theme that all bound itself to the title. I found it remarkable how everything sort've played into the grand theme, and how well it worked without seeming preachy. Once again, nice review. I like your style, and I like how you don't go overboard with showing me this and that from the film itself. It's a nice change of pace, like you're prepared for your audience to have seen the film, as well as not having seen it, as opposed to other reviewers who treat their audience as first-comers only. Might have to look through more of your vids.
While you have quite a few good points, I would have to disagree about a lack of comic relief. Not because there was any, but because you're saying they should have added some. The movie was long, but I felt into the movie the entire time and being pulled out by comic relief would have ruined the intensity of the issue. When a movie goes for realism the way this movie does, they can't just add in pieces like that to make the film easier to watch because the point of the film is that it is hard to watch. I amount of emotion this movie got me to invest has given me hope that new movies can be just as if not better than some of the classics.
i see everyone was talking about the eye twich, i personally didnt notice it until the friend i was watching it with pointed it out, for me it blended into the character perfectly, he is tense, neurotic and fast paced. Some people hated it, my friend mentioned it because he thought it was a briliant adition to think of in showing hes personality and the weird little things we all have. As for crossing the mic level, i didnt really notice that, but my personal opinion is striving for realism. when a person yells that hard (or out of nowhere) its what your ear bones and ear drums do in order to protect your hearing.
i also never noticed it until someone pointed it out, but when they did it was quite distracting. however i find that people who star in large movies beforehand can be distracting because i will end up thinking about the larger movies, luckily he doesn't have that problem for me.
Does anyone know if Jake Gyllenhaal has bad movies? I mean, I watched Donnie Darko, Enemy, Nightcrawler, Source Code, Zodiac, Southpaw, Jarhead and now Prisoners, and all of those movies are awesome. This guy chooses the movies that he's gonna make very carefully.
I'm about 6 years late and when this was released I probably wasn't old enough to see it but now that I have watched it, this movie hit me like a truck with every line of dialouge, every note of music, and every shot and angle. It's still festering in my mind and i don't see that stopping any time soon. I believe that all these years later this film still holds up as one of the best ever made.
The way they cut away as Gyllenhaal discovered Paul Dano screaming in the closet ....so good! So chilling. They didn’t give everything away they left a lot of the work up to the viewer. Major rewatch-ability too. I’ve seen it 3 times and you notice new things each time.
This movie is a masterpiece. Words can't explain how deeply it affected me. The best scene is when Hugh Jackson was in the car with Mr Gyllenhaal. By far the best actor performance I've seen from a movie (Hugh Jackson). That car scene ... Best scene from all movies I watched ever, that emotionally affected me.
The most steady rising tension in a film I’ve ever experienced. Just constantly this feeling that hope is slipping and slipping and you can feel the characters scrape more and more at anything they can. Also loling at Chris’ pronunciation of Denis Villenueve, little did he know he’d be one of his favorite directors of today
I think this was a GREAT movie. but there were a couple of things i didn't get. Why did detective Loki keep blinking so hard? don't know if it has any importance but you could see it was on purpose as he did it in every scene he was in. And what did Joy mean by: You were there, it put tape on our mouths. when she was laying in the bed at the hospital and Keller was asking her where Anna was. what did she mean by this?
I've read somewhere that people develop habbits when coping with an immense amount of stress like shaking your knee, consistently scratching one area of your arm, or in this case, blinking real hard.
There's a theory (interesting backstory) that Loki was actually imprisoned and abused as a child. Apparently there's subtle implications throughout the film and that twitch is one of them. His reaction to the snakes also seemed exaggerated. Possibly he had to go through the same abuse the maze-crazy victims had to endure and similarly developed a fear of snakes? This may sound absurd but you should look it up.
Hey Chris! As a student, I don't have enough money to go the cinema very often, and I just wanted to say thank you: because of this review, I decided to go see Prisoners anyway and I'm so glad I did. Such an amazing, exciting and gripping movie. Jackman and Gyllenhaal were great and after all those blockbusters this summer, it was really nice to watch a movie that just took its time to tell the story. Thank you so much and keep up the good work!
The scene with Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard and Paul Dano where Keller is bashing the sink with a hammer, is the greatest acted scene I've ever seen. Every single one was incredible
Recently watched this in Netflix for the first time.. I thought it was amazing. I had to go and see what you thought of this movie. I'm glad you liked it!
Chris, you should do a top movies of the current decade list. It's hard to believe we're five years in already! Here is my current top 10 1. Inception(2010) 2. 12 Years a Slave(2013) 3. The Dark Knight Rises(2012) 4. Toy Story 3(2010) 5. The Descendants(2011) 6. The Social Network(2010) 7. Prisoners(!)(2013) 8. Looper(2012) 9. Moneyball(2011) 10. Lincoln(2012) Nothing from 2014 yet but I hope something will eventually make it on this list.
I grew up on Godzilla, so the new 2014 one is in my top ten easily. Not saying that's one of the movies I suggest, believe me I know its considered terrible. I really liked The Grey, Argo, and The Dark Knight is clearly better than Rises imo, I also really liked Zero Dark Thirty, The Hurt Locker and Avatar. I understand why you could hate Avatar also.
Sup Chris. I watched this film this evening off the back of your comments on Paul Dano's performance in your recent The Batman review, having been a fan of the guy in everything I've seen him in so far. I was completely engrossed for the whole runtime and enjoyed it immensely. Particularly impressed by how affecting the performances were (shoutout to Hugh Jackman POUNDING on that dashboard) and how distinct and unrelenting the tension and atmosphere were. So thanks a bunch! Incidentally, I also booked myself and the lady into the cinema for the first time in a while to see The Batman this Friday. Partly because my wife just thinks it looks awesome -- and also adores detective shit / noir / Se7en, and so your review has me thoroughly convinced me that she'll love it -- and partly because of your oft-made and compelling argument regarding getting your ass off the couch to support the big-budget facemelters. So thanks in advance for that one also... I'm sure it's gonna be a blast!
As someone who watches detective/mystery movies a lot this just melted me. I actually felt that. And tge drama and the suspense and the characters. Moah... Chef kiss. And that eye twitch that Detective Loki involuntarily did!!! Wow. I wish i had an eye twitch after this. Jake Gyllenhaal plays his roles in such a magnificent way that makes you want to be an actor. The amount of details in this movie.mind blowing. Such a good movie.
Ofcourse he does but the reason why we didn't see shit after the actual ending is because we know what's gonna happen after Hugh gets out of the hole, he gets to go to prison and that wouldn't make for a "happy" ending. That's what I think
Yeah. but he did at least get to see his daughter and get closure that they caught the woman. I loved the ending, and would even class it as a happy ending, considering the overall tone of the movie.
Last night I finally sat down to watch this film after having it on my checklist for maybe 4 years now, probably ever since Blade Runner 2049 came out and introduced me to Denis' Filmography, which just so happened to become my definitive favourite film... up until last night. Prisoners, for me, is a masterpiece in all aspects, it's the first and only film that is so water tight and so perfect that I genuinely have no suggestions on how it could be better, even my previous favourite, Blade Runner 2049, has some parts that I feel could have been tweaked, but when the credits rolled on Prisoners I was simply in awe. I'd probably still say Blade Runner 2049 is my favourite film simply because of the impact it had on me and how it influenced my viewpoint of art as a whole and drove me into a more creative career path, but I have to concede that Prisoners is the Best film I have ever watched in my life.
+darkness2160 Think back to when JG (the detective of the state police) is first at that house to question the granny (melissa leo), he is looking at that old car, and searching around/under it. She quickly comes out and asks him if he needs something and distracts him. He is a smart cop, and will remember this and will check and find Dover down there. He obviously heard the whistle blowing too (Dover was a survivalist Christian, a GOOD man, the kind of father anyone would strive to be like). I personally believe that the detective finds him down there (he will hear the source of the whistle coming from near the car, and remember how she stopped him from looking down there, because the first time he did the girls were actually down there!
I know this reply is a year late but... the ending still isnt going to be a happy one. Even if Loki does find Mr. Dover (which I think he will), Dover still is going to be charged with abducting and torturing the other guy. Hes looking at life in prison and hes only going to be able to see his daughter a few times from visiting which sucks even more since he never really got to see her. So even if he is found, the ending is still gonna be a shitty one for the family.
Not to mention that Anna will probably have mental problems for the rest of her life. Not just with the PTSD of being abducted but since the old lady gave her a mass dose of some drug (maybe the same LSD/Ketamine mixture?) at the very end when she was shot and killed. Notice how Bob Taylor and Barry AKA Alex Jones were both not right in the head, this couldnt just be a coincidence after the both of them were given large amounts of this drug so maybe it has really bad effects on underaged brains. You can also see how when Anna is in the wheelchair to say thank you to Loki, she doesnt say anything and she just looks at him blankly which could be the mental effects of the drug she had. Anyways, just goes to show how shitty life is going to be for them
Hands-down the best movie of the decade. Brilliantly directed, acted, scored, and produced. Jake and Hugh should have been nominated. And Jake should have won. He came up with the tick, the tattoos an entire backstory for his character. Unbelievable dedication.
spoilers. I would like to see a video on symbolism in the movie "Prisoners". Gyllenhaal's Detective character Loki wearing the freemason ring? (in our culture today, we usually relate freemasonry with secret societies) There's also Gyllenhaal's character trying to find missing children? The two main characters representing institution (Gyllenhaal) and individual (jackman). Detective Loki being a juvenile criminal? (history of orphanage and 'rebelious' tattoos) in and out of institutions until he found himself in his last institution?(Police Department). Jackman is fighting a spiritual battle and has his torture shower for the 'alex jones' character looking like a confessional booth and then reaping what he sow when he was thrown into the ditch. (ditch shaped like a square, in the center of the 'maze' portrayed in the movie) In the beginning, Jackman is showing his son how to hunt an innocent animal, symbolizing our need as a species to pass down a hostile nature in order to merely survive (original sin. Similarly, the Alex Jones character has his sadistic nature passed down from his mother and father). It seems that Jackman has "lost his faith through the disappearance of his child" and becomes a demon amongst men. I've read that many religious cathedrals have mazes imbedded into them to symbolize man's journey through the world of sin to salvation. As Jackman's character went into a sinful state, following the religious symbolism, Detective Loki had an 8 pointed star tattooed on his neck which is a religious symbol of rebirth and regeneration. a path from juvenile delinquency to saving two little girls. These were off the top of my head, the movie is riddled with symbols. If you are a fellow youtuber looking for answers and you've spotted some in the movie for yourself, respond to my comment :) also, feel free to reject/accept any part from my interpretations. Love your stuff Chris!
Dang man, just saw this movie tonight. Totally agree with everything you said, one of my favorite films of the year. It's so amazing to see a movie with a classic story, done in a completely stylized and original way. I feel as if some people will have a problem with the ending, until they realize the entire film was directed in the same way. A+, 10 out 10, whatever scale is necessary. Great review man!
Couldn't agree more. I always recommend this movie to everyone. It's one of the best movies I've seen in such a long time. Ever since I saw it I could not stop thinking about it!
I watched this last night on a whim and I was absolutely blown away. I agree with everything you said' I even came here this morning just to see what your take on it was! Flawless film.
One of the best movies I have ever seen, seeing it back in 2013 made me feel so tense and sad for the families, but after seeing it again last year, well I ended up loving it even more, the movie was simply perfect .
Whenever I am brooding and contemplating new story ideas in my head I always have this score playing from Johann Johansson. Amazing OST that really set the tone
So I can't give this movie enough praise, but I was just a little let down by the motivation behind the villain... because I didn't feel like there was any besides them being a messed up person. Any commentary?
ShyProdigy it's more about losing your faith in God, there is a lot of religious symbolism in the film, main characters is a doomsday prepper and a devout Christian, Loki on the other hand is heavily implied to be a mason while the villain is an Atheist that lost her faith. As an Atheist myself I'm still trying to figure out what director had in mind.
There are about 20-25 movie review channels I have seen on youtube. Some are groups, while others are individuals. You are the best movie reviewer on youtube. Just like how good movies dont have to shout at you and make a big huge show and be loud to be amazing you do that. what makes you really great and unique is you dont just talk about plot, characters, and script. you also talk about sound, visuals, lighting, and editing. it is 1am. I signed in just to let you know that you are great! :)
I loved Gyllenhaal's eye twitching thing he kept doing.
Me too. Happens when he's overthinking.
The character had tourettes. The actor thought that he should have tourettes.
I immediately recognised it as Tourettes, i have it myself. Actually, I have a similar thing, but instead of blinking "hard" I just blink a lot. Like 100 times a minute lot.
cocoman11111 I also have tourettes
Xavier nathaniel Welcome to the club lol
Detective Loki's hairstyle should've won some kind of award.
It looks so cool.
+Airma D Noctis I know, right? It was weird that I noticed it -I usually don't pay attention to those things- but man, it was classy.
I have that kind of hairstyle. Looks even better with a beard.
Fr fr, so sleek
exactly
I thought I was the only one that focused on the hairstyle. Especially when he got angry and broke the computer and all the little gel wisps were hanging over his face. Thank you so much for making me feel like less of a weirdo for enjoying that so much
Jake Gyllenhall is such and underrated actor. He just does not do bad movies. Kinda like Leo, when he's in a movie you know it's gonna be good
Have you seen Nightcrawler? So far my movie of the year and Jakes best performance. That dude is the next Leo
I haven't. Can't wait to though. Getting insane reviews
Hugo Joubert Deserves them
Ricky McClain Really? Second best movie of the year for me. And Jake was incredible
Hugo Joubert What was your first for the year?
My favorite scene is when Loki is driving to the hospital as fast as he can at night, in rain-snow storm, blood coming down his face and into his eyes with a dying Anna in the backseat, with such powerful escalating music playing. It was so gripping on every emotional level!
Couldn't agree more!
I was at the edge of my seat during that scene, terrified he was going to crash the car. I become emotional with relief when they arrived at the emergency room. I love how Loki was so selfless, he only cared about saving the little girl.
That was my favorite scene also! :)
The cinematography in this film was incredible. And the muci.
Indeed! They kept the scene playing and I realised I wanted the scene to skip like in other movies where they show a shot of the drive and then the relief of the arrival, but the scene just kept going so it felt alot more real and dangerous. I felt the same as the cop: "come on are we freaking there yet!? The girl is dying dammit!"
This was the movie that made me want to see Hugh Jackman as Joel in the The Last of Us movie.
I was thinking the same thing ha!
This Lazy Nigga holy shit.... you just blew my mind. Can you think of anyone else that looks so similar to Joel from Last of Us than Hugh Jackman (with the beard of course).
Either him or Guy Pierce (reference The Rover)
He would do the role of Joel great
hell yes!
I really love the title because it REALLY fits. Everyone in the movie was a prisoner. The girls were prisoners to their captors, Jake Gyllenhaal was a prisoner to the case, Paul Dano was a prisoner to Hugh Jackman, Hugh Jackman's wife was a prisoner to her emotions, and Hugh Jackman was a prisoner to himself.
I couldn't agree more! Add to it that at the end Hugh Jackman becomes a prisoner of the abducting aunt AND is probably going to real jail to be a prisoner again once he gets out. Have to admit though: I didn't understand the title at the beginning, but it became more and more fitting to me once the movie went on.
This movie is a masterpiece.
Agree with you brotha
Dan Judge very underrated and misunderstood movie. its a real shame
YES
Nope, totally ordinary
oh I know you poxow. You are the guy who hates dennis Villeneuve's films aren't you fucking dumbass. Go watch movies that are suited for your IQ.
Underrated movie this is one of the best movies ever
Agreed
ikr
nah, too many stupid choices made by the detective and Jackman
yh true but it shows how people make wrong decisions when theyre are under stress
Aryan Bagha WORST MOVIE EVERRRRR
I remember that a friend told me "I almost died from a heart attack while watching this movie, I was so tense" and I thought he was exaggerating.
Then I saw it and I was literally screaming to my tv at the end of this movie. Excellent movie.
1992mjcc dude same, that ending...
I just clapped for a solid min
Oh yes!! I was like. JAKE DON'T LEAVE. Lol
Chiming in 7 years later... I was yelling at the screen at the end too!
Nonsense. a heart attack reading the script, absolutely. Watching the movie? Disappointment for letting down the genius of the screenplay
This movie got snubbed in the Oscar nominations in my opinion.
Should've got nominated for at least Hugh Jackman.
And best picture. Heck Jake G. did great as well.
This film deserved to be nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (for Jackman or Gyllenhall...Hell break the minds of critics and give them both one xD )
Totally, Gravity was amateur, good special effects don't make a movie good, a good story does. This movie was brilliant and deserved none of the snubbing it got.
The best ones do. The Oscars are a joke. It's a compliment not to be nominated. Those titles are purchased so they can slap it on the cover and increase sales.
One of the best films i have ever seen!
KobesMind hi kobes! You’re my favorite Fortnite player
Wait wait..... KOBESMIND??
Fortnight’s shit
Yooo kobesmind glad to see you have a great taste in film as well as games
7 years later still one of the best movies I ever seen.
Hugh Jackman is a great actor, I just hate how most people would remember him as Wolverine. His best performance in my opinion was The Prestige.
Elijah De Leon and prisoners. agree
Prestige and Prisoners where awesome, even though I didn't like the prestiges ending. Every magic trick was realistic and made sense, except the tesla one.
+Elijah De Leon Prestige, Prisoners and a bit of a reach but the Fountain was good too (not the overly grandiose story but his work in it)
+Neo Maredi the fountain was terrible
That goes without saying, but Jackman was good in it.
One of the Best Thrillers ever made.
Water Hazard love your pic lapid
huntas trash Aww! Thanks! ;)
Water Hazard u got snapchat add me pls whats your name
Dude...
H
jackman said in an interview, when he watched this movie together with his wife at the premier, his wife was holding his hand in the beginning and half way through she actually let go of his hand.
his performance was that good!
i think he should do more movies like this, different from his wolverine character. he has so much more talent and layers to his acting, its sad to see it being so underutalised.
Prestige also good performance from jackman
maybe she let go because holding anyone’s hand for 3 hours can be a little uncomfortable
How does that have anything to do whatsoever with how good the movie is?....... what?
@@itsboyaknow I'm assuming because his character was so believable / well acted
@@itsboyaknow well his character does some pretty terrifying things in the film especially at the halfway mark
I have been binge watching Jake Gyllenhall movies lately because I loved Southpaw and Nightcrawler, and this was not a let down
Omg, I'm doing the same. I fell in love with him!
SpinningGamer | MCSG Same, man.
Darriel Baldwin right there with ya, i think jake is my favorite actor, and he will probably stay up there on the list for a long time =]
+SpinningGamer | MCSG Watch Enemy and Zodiac then too he is amazing
Seen Zodiac but heard that Enemy wasn't good. Still worth a go though?
Loki's eye twitch was such a nice touch Jake Gyllenhaal is my favorite actor
He was ROBBED of an Oscar!
He actually twitches ... nightwalker he twitched donnie darko he twitched
That Hammer scene man!!!
You're everywhere.
Tell Me!!!!
Prisoners is finally on Netflix and here I am watching a 9 year old review from baby Chris haha
yep me too
Same here
You and me both. What a movie!
lmao same ..I need therapy after that movie
Just now finished the movie. Now on TH-cam watching the reviews to see if people enjoyed it as much as I did haha.
Jake Gyllenhal is one of the best actors of all time. Watch Nightcrawler and tell me if that isn't a top 10 of all time performance. He owns the role.
Jurij Fedorov Watch his movie Enemy too..
Jurij Fedorov Yeah i totally agree. Prisoners, Nightcrawler, Enemy, Donnie Darco (and to lesser extend imo) End of Watch are freaking great and always have something deep about them. Haven´t seen all his movies tho. Zodiac and Brokeback Mountain seem to be good aswell
SirStevetheCreep No, no, no... Zodiac is GREAT. You really need to see that movie. Watch the director's cut too. Its over 3 hours long but I guarantee you it never gets boring.
His acting in Source Code was also immaculate
Jurij Fedorov Donnie Darko was the best in my opinion. Really good and complicated movie.
jake gyllenhaal becomes one of my fav actor after this film
Totally. JG has really been flexing his acting skills this last few years. This movie, Enemy, Southpaw, Zodiac, Source Code, NIghtcrawler, End of Watch...
Don't forget brokeback mountain! he is one of the best actors of our time.
Zodiac & Night Crawler!!!
Jake was my favorite after Donnie Darko.
After watching Brokeback Mountain, Zodiac, Prisoners, End of Watch and Donnie Darko I know that Jake Gyllenhall is one of the best actors working today. He has had stinkers but then of course so has Matthew McConaughey and look at him now.
Glad to see someone take the words right out of my mouth. Favorite actor by far.
Watch Nightcrawler. Easily his best
You can add Enemy to that list. Fantastic movie
Nightcrawler is easily his best performance tho
This entire year has been very disappointing for me until now.
how about now?
Seven years later still 10 likes for Chris’s comment😭
@@patrickmoore8890 😂😂😂
Hugh Jackman was more bad ass in this film than all the X-men films combined.
Ano it really was his best performance
Conor Sullivan Reviews
I agree, this and The Prestige were Hugh's greatest acting roles. The way he was in Prisoners is the type of father every man should strive to be. Loki was a great detective but the rest of the PSP (PA state police) were bubbling idiots, trying to pass the buck and shirk their duties like always.
Boneax _
I love the film because there IS no "right or wrong" answer. Had Keller Dover not broken the law and taken matters into his own hands, his daughter and the other girl almost certainly would've died. However, it was the detective who saved his daughter when he was unable to. Loki was a smart detective I think he most likely rescued Keller (earlier in the film we see him suspiciously checking out the pit with the car above it before the old woman stops him).
Jiggley Krowzer After I watched this movie, I have to admit this is probably his best acting in all of his films.
He’s not a badass he’s a psycho
SPOILERS: Can I say I was so heartbroken for "Alex"? That kid already had crazy trauma from being abducted for 26 years. Could he ever imagine that things would get worse and he'd be abducted AGAIN?! And brutally beaten to boot?! If anyone's going to kill a few people later on in life it's him. I would hate to see the monster that one person with those experiences could become.
LadyJay882-Same here, and I can't believe there are people who saw the film and actually thought that Hugh Jackman's character was right to do what he did when the movie clearly shows you he was absolutely in the wrong. The fact is no matter how suspicious Alex may have appeared the horrific torture Hugh Jackman's character puts Alex through is still completely wrong no matter how desperate he was to find his daughter, & his actions were unforgivable. And the worst part is Hugh Jackman's character was wrong about Alex all along &, as you pointed out, poor Alex was in fact innocent and a victim of the real kidnapper himself & will now never truly ever be able to live a normal life as he's experienced way too much trauma & will suffer the mental scars of that forever.
kirsty fairley You realize when he first starts torturing Alex it’s just a father trying to find his daughter, but the more you see the crap he does you realize how much he’s really losing himself and is becoming a monster.
I hated him so much for the first 2 hours, like had genuine hate for his character when you thought he was behind it, and then when the twist cam I felt so bad Paul Dano did a crazy good job acting
@@sherlockfan2000 Honestly, after my most recent rewatch of Prisoners, I’ve come to believe that Kellers abduction of Alex ended up saving his daughter and her friend.
Sure it was messed up, but it was not only understandable giving the circumstances, but also (in the end) morbidly necessary.
After all, Holly admitted that she would’ve left the girls in the pit if it had not been for the loneliness she felt when Alex went missing. Joy would therefore not have escaped, and the following events that led to the ultimate resolution would arguably never have happened.
I really like the movies grey-area exploration. I have to agree with Kellers wife - I glad he did what he did, even though it was incredibly disturbing to say the least.
@@patrickmoore8890 I felt bad pretty quickly to be honest. I mean he was mentally disabled and its pretty clear that even if he was guilty that he's not to blame. The reveal that the reason he doesn't talk was because of his trauma was a punch to the gut though
That wasn't Hugh Jackman....That was Joel from TLoU looking for Ellie
***** Man haven't played it yet
+Juliano Arias lol
I thought people were supposed to be making that connection to _Logan_.
I thought he was Alan Wake from well Alan Wake.
Jesus Christ, the resemblance is uncanny
***SPOILERS***I loved the ending, but...I saw it comming and I thought it wasn't possible.
The police would tear the place appart like with any discovery of a serial killer's hide out. There's no way they would not move that car or have dogs arround.
This is just my theory but heres the possibilities of what might happen. Keller was in there with hardly any air because the hole was blocked off and only used for when the police came so the old woman could hide the children. He's technically been there for a whole day and air is running out since the woman said he would last 24 hours. So maybe on his last breaths he blew the whistle thinking the detective could hear it (which he does) so the possibilities are he dies and they find him or the detective finds him and takes him to hospital then he goes to jail.
Harry Banova right! But I think the woman told him to mak himself a tourniket so that he couldlast 24h with a bulletwound. The cave seemed large enough to me. plus, dogs would certainly sniff him out.
Frederic Beaudet my mistake, you're right. I was tired when I made the post but I still stand that there wouldn't of been a lot of air
+Harry Banova I think the air wouldnt have been a problem. The police might not tear the place apart the very same day the whole thing happened, they need to get permissions maybe, or the right men have to be available with the right tools, not to ruin the evidence with amateurs. 24 hours is not a long time in a small town like that. Im not an expert on the subject or anything, but it seems entirely possible to me, that the police wouldnt tear the place apart so soon.
Bálint Ujvári It's discovered that it was the home of a serial killer. If it leaks to the media, they better have the entire police station's staff over there at least to secure the site. plus, there is still one man missing and they know he was searching for that place and had one of it's resident as...a prisoner. The police also know that some victimes were kept alive. They better be serching the place thouroughly in my opinion. There's an old car in the back yard with recent tire marks. I'm no detective but someone should have been looking under it.
I literally got creep/thrills as the Alex Jones character was subjected to so much physical abuse-- that literally brought the Hugh Jackman character through a perfect story arc... AMAZING MOVIE!
I just watched this after seeing your review, and DAMN. What a movie.
crazy movie 💯
Prisoners is one of my favorite films ever.
Same
I remember watching this movie. It was so dark, dramatic and catastrophic that I couldn't breathe properly most of the time. I needed 2 or 3 days to sink in. It is a movie which you can't forget that quick. I remember feeling devastated and broken. I wouldn't bare to watch it for a second time. Don't if I would survive a second time. It is just too intense.
shut up
When you said Roger Deakins was your favourite cinematographer, I looked on IMDb and saw he had no Oscar wins. Damn you Academy!
the worst thing about it is that he's been nominated 11 times. 11 fucking times and no wins! that's messed up
nucky thompson I know! Again, damn the Academy for not taking notice of him. Then again, he was going up against "Gravity" last year.
Miner4Life99 He is the DiCaprio of DP's. But the Academy is BS anyway. You can do a career of nothing but stellar work and lose to people who have one good movie. Look at all the Oscar winners that won and never did anything good again. It's pretty sad.
He won one for Blade Runner 2049!
Now he won for 1917
Seeing this film was like bingewatching a season of True Detective it was amazing!
That...that comparison is actually very very accurate
abisz007007 Have you seen Sicario by the same director? While not as True Detective-y, I got a similar vibe from it - starts off with spooky murders, tense moments in a bleak setting, and one lone cop stepping out of line in pursuit of the truth.
Seen it. And I approve your message
Haven't heard of it. Oh my, a British crime show released on HBO with an IMDb of 8,7? Count me in!
You just made me watch the movie.
very underrated
My favorite movie this year by far. Way better than Gravity IMHO.
Gravity was overrated.
I liked it. I just liked this far better.
Ricky-Kun JESUS? Are you on crack?
Crazy Viewer No, are you?
Crazy Viewer Jesus? JEEEESSSUSSSS?
I still can't get over the fact that he tortured a guy with fists and hot water for nothing.
well the guy knew where the kids were
MrWilko
Yeah. Was still simmering over the movie then.
SPOILERS!!!:
I know he was slow and I feel bad, but, I wish he would have just talked more. They could have found the kids way sooner. Det. Loki would have put 2 and 2 together. The mazes from that suicidal guy, the maze Alex was talking about, and the maze on that serial killer's necklace...Actually, if Det. Loki and Mr. Dover exchanged info once in a while, they would have easily solved the case...(but I know that can't happen and it's a movie)
+Zukie8: Yes, it was frustrating that he was so clammed-up. But I think it was to show just how badly damaged he'd been by those bastards. At the end, his poor mom! Her son might "come home" physically,but the son she lost is dead.Her grief is just beginning.
Loki wouldn’t have gone back to the aunties house to inform/talk to her,if he hadn’t discovered that guy being tortured. Basically the girl would have died if he found out any later. In the end the dad did save his daughter by giving the detective a reason to visit the auntie at the right moment
Best movie of the year for me.
incredible...the director has a new film out this year too
Dennis Villeneuve is easily the best director of this decade. Has all the makings of a Fincher style of directing and i love that he keeps teaming with Deacon.
Cannot wait for Arrival (also, its interesting how he changes the formula for each film he has directed whilst still maintaining that sense of dread and amazing tension)
Clarence this first movie I've watched by this director was arrival. I'm so glad I've now gone down this far his filmography. He is amazing
i love this movie, its one of those movie i lost time in cause i enjoy it so much
This movie is my favorite movie I have ever seen. I had goosebumps almost the entire time, it was just the hardest movie to watch and think this is happening in life.
Omg yeees agreed
I think me and Chris Stuckman have much more similar tastes than me and that Jeremy Jahns dude. "Mud", "Place Beyond the Pines", and "Prisoners" are EASILY the 3 best films I have seen this year. When a film leaves you speechless, sitting there just thinking and pondering as the credits role, you KNOW it's a good film. All 3 of these have done that with me.
I actually would put this in my top 10 films of all time. It truly is a masterpiece.
Same
I really liked thsi film I don’t watch films anymore I am 22 now but when I was young and lived at home I watched many films this was up there for sure I loved
Would you please give me your top 10?
This movie is a masterpiece, Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhall put in Oscar worthy performances.
It was amazing. Can't believe I never saw it.
Absolutely.
Did you realize his twitch?
@@derrickdiggs8612 no I did not that’s crazy
Can you do an analyzed video of Prisoners?
that's a great idea
Thought Gyllenhaal completely stole this movie.
This movie was so good and gave me a new found respect for Jake Gyllenhall
If they make a fourth season of True Detective, I'd love to see Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman as the two main detectives. Based on their performances and chemistry in this movie I think that would be incredible.
It is ridiculous how often I completely agree with this guy
Massively overrated. The characters if you can call them that are just a pain to hear their stupid dialogue. But this is not the time or the place to rant about the twilight saga. Prisoners proves the how vital a gray character is to elevating drama. five stars.
Dan Judge me too
I want a franchise with Detective Loki. This movie made me begin to cry in the last act when the newspaper was shown. I literally was balling my hands into fists because I wanted to see what happened in the end after that.
Pure masterpiece.
Seeing the number of Jake Gyllenhaal films in your A+ playlist is making me so happy. He picks stunning and interesting roles in such a variety of genres and it's insane he hasn't won an Oscar already.
This was one of the movies i saw in theaters and thinking multi-oscar noms. Academy never fails to disappoint
This movie should've been won best score and cinematography and at least have been nominated for best director and supporting actor
I just finished it and thought it was amazing. Absolutely breathtaking. The ending left me at the edge of my seat
Please do an analyzed review of this brilliant film. Seeing as though this is ur favorite movie of of the year and is filled with amazing symbolism and great meaning, it only makes sense for u to delve deep into this movie. Please take this into consideration and keep on doing ur amazing work. You're a true inspiration to me when it comes to wanting to work in film. Thanks for everything.
This movie was awesome and epic, this together with se7en and True detective is my 3 favorite Crime dramas. The ending is crazy good in this movie, it just troubles me so much i can get it out of my head, argh! Great ending, we didnt need to see anymore an open ending is good when you do it right, and boy did they nail it! Its just... fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!
Liked your review. Felt I'd throw out a couple of things though.
I wish you talked about: The nervous twitch of Loki. I won't rule out that you didn't, as it's 5 a.m. but I don't think you did. It's a very interesting character trait. I wish you could have at least mentioned it as I see very few reviewers/critics bring it up.
Sound. Hugh Jackman - I'm not sure how many exactly - breaks the sound level of the mic several times throughout the film. It would have been at least interesting to hear your thoughts on why they left it in the film, as it almost deliberately pulls you away from the movie. In my opinion, it's a subliminal break. There's very little comic relief despite the 2 and a half hour run time. So when Jackman breaks the mic's level (most notable one for me if you want to hear for yourself is in the house, Jackman first meets Gyllenhaal and during his shouting you can hear it) you almost subconsciously relax a little.
Circular themes. This was one of the most tightly written screenplays I've seen in a long time. It wasn't obnoxiously tight, like Hot Fuzz where EVERY LINE means something, but it had a cyclical theme that all bound itself to the title. I found it remarkable how everything sort've played into the grand theme, and how well it worked without seeming preachy.
Once again, nice review. I like your style, and I like how you don't go overboard with showing me this and that from the film itself. It's a nice change of pace, like you're prepared for your audience to have seen the film, as well as not having seen it, as opposed to other reviewers who treat their audience as first-comers only.
Might have to look through more of your vids.
While you have quite a few good points, I would have to disagree about a lack of comic relief. Not because there was any, but because you're saying they should have added some. The movie was long, but I felt into the movie the entire time and being pulled out by comic relief would have ruined the intensity of the issue. When a movie goes for realism the way this movie does, they can't just add in pieces like that to make the film easier to watch because the point of the film is that it is hard to watch. I amount of emotion this movie got me to invest has given me hope that new movies can be just as if not better than some of the classics.
Stolid Liquid I never said they should have added comic relief. I just commented how there is a very small amount of it.
i see everyone was talking about the eye twich, i personally didnt notice it until the friend i was watching it with pointed it out, for me it blended into the character perfectly, he is tense, neurotic and fast paced. Some people hated it, my friend mentioned it because he thought it was a briliant adition to think of in showing hes personality and the weird little things we all have.
As for crossing the mic level, i didnt really notice that, but my personal opinion is striving for realism. when a person yells that hard (or out of nowhere) its what your ear bones and ear drums do in order to protect your hearing.
i also never noticed it until someone pointed it out, but when they did it was quite distracting. however i find that people who star in large movies beforehand can be distracting because i will end up thinking about the larger movies, luckily he doesn't have that problem for me.
Does anyone know if Jake Gyllenhaal has bad movies? I mean, I watched Donnie Darko, Enemy, Nightcrawler, Source Code, Zodiac, Southpaw, Jarhead and now Prisoners, and all of those movies are awesome. This guy chooses the movies that he's gonna make very carefully.
Paul James watch brokeback mountain
Michael Clasby, I second that!
Paul James Southpaw was bad.
Paul James. Nocturnal animals now, the man is awesome
+Nader Zein Southpaw wasn't even close to being a bad movie. Its not JG's best but still an excellent flick.
I'm about 6 years late and when this was released I probably wasn't old enough to see it but now that I have watched it, this movie hit me like a truck with every line of dialouge, every note of music, and every shot and angle. It's still festering in my mind and i don't see that stopping any time soon. I believe that all these years later this film still holds up as one of the best ever made.
The way they cut away as Gyllenhaal discovered Paul Dano screaming in the closet ....so good! So chilling. They didn’t give everything away they left a lot of the work up to the viewer. Major rewatch-ability too. I’ve seen it 3 times and you notice new things each time.
Just watched this today. Holy fuck, this movie was intense as hell. I can't wait to see what comes from this director next.
you should watch his film Incendies, its really good
*Dune intensifies*
loki and wolverine working together .....shit i got to watch that
dylan helsing Um... what? That's not Loki.
AzurianRain Jake Gyllenhaal's character in "Prisoners" is called Loki.
DieWilWheatonDie That's not what I meant, but OK.
This movie is a masterpiece. Words can't explain how deeply it affected me. The best scene is when Hugh Jackson was in the car with Mr Gyllenhaal. By far the best actor performance I've seen from a movie (Hugh Jackson). That car scene ... Best scene from all movies I watched ever, that emotionally affected me.
Reminds me of 'The Road', so well made and acted but the subject matter is so dark you may not ever want to watch it again.
Agree. It's depression and hopelessness in a wonderfully made, gorgeously bleak package.
The most steady rising tension in a film I’ve ever experienced. Just constantly this feeling that hope is slipping and slipping and you can feel the characters scrape more and more at anything they can. Also loling at Chris’ pronunciation of Denis Villenueve, little did he know he’d be one of his favorite directors of today
This movie is great! Go watch it! Hugh Jackman should get an oscar for this..
You need to watch Incendies... I was blown away.
I agree with you giving this movie an A+. I loved prisoners. Stellar casting!
I think this was a GREAT movie. but there were a couple of things i didn't get.
Why did detective Loki keep blinking so hard? don't know if it has any importance but you could see it was on purpose as he did it in every scene he was in.
And what did Joy mean by: You were there, it put tape on our mouths. when she was laying in the bed at the hospital and Keller was asking her where Anna was. what did she mean by this?
She said you were there because Keller came and visited the aunt and she must have heard him.
I've read somewhere that people develop habbits when coping with an immense amount of stress like shaking your knee, consistently scratching one area of your arm, or in this case, blinking real hard.
I noticed the blinking too. I think it's a condition, don't know exactly what kind. My friend did exactly the same thing.
There's a theory (interesting backstory) that Loki was actually imprisoned and abused as a child. Apparently there's subtle implications throughout the film and that twitch is one of them. His reaction to the snakes also seemed exaggerated. Possibly he had to go through the same abuse the maze-crazy victims had to endure and similarly developed a fear of snakes?
This may sound absurd but you should look it up.
Mmmchutney That's a really interesting theory. I'll probably end up rewatching this film and checking for things I missed the first time.
Why does this only have an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes?
tarik the creator no way! I thought it would be in the high 90s.
Ahh who cares. Look at joker reviews on there. Just make up your own mind.
I noticed something subtle also: there is never a sunny scene in the movie. it's always rainy or nighttime
Echoingdolphin that's just the north east for yah :-P
Finally saw it tonight. It was my 4th Denis movie and so far every film has been amazing. So excited for Dune.
Hey Chris! As a student, I don't have enough money to go the cinema very often, and I just wanted to say thank you: because of this review, I decided to go see Prisoners anyway and I'm so glad I did. Such an amazing, exciting and gripping movie. Jackman and Gyllenhaal were great and after all those blockbusters this summer, it was really nice to watch a movie that just took its time to tell the story. Thank you so much and keep up the good work!
The scene of Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal in the car was the best part of the entire movie
The scene with Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard and Paul Dano where Keller is bashing the sink with a hammer, is the greatest acted scene I've ever seen. Every single one was incredible
Recently watched this in Netflix for the first time.. I thought it was amazing. I had to go and see what you thought of this movie. I'm glad you liked it!
Just watched the movie and came straight here for the review. I knew I could count on you to review good movies like this. And you never disappoint.
Chris, you should do a top movies of the current decade list. It's hard to believe we're five years in already!
Here is my current top 10
1. Inception(2010)
2. 12 Years a Slave(2013)
3. The Dark Knight Rises(2012)
4. Toy Story 3(2010)
5. The Descendants(2011)
6. The Social Network(2010)
7. Prisoners(!)(2013)
8. Looper(2012)
9. Moneyball(2011)
10. Lincoln(2012)
Nothing from 2014 yet but I hope something will eventually make it on this list.
Toy story... How you can like this?
Vardenis Pavardenis Because it has great characters, the story is excellent, and it is a fitting end to the trilogy.
24fanbran My question is Lincoln? The Descendants? Both were really good, but incredibly boring.
How can a movie be really good and incredibly boring at the same time? Not trying to sound snarky. What would you put in their place?
I grew up on Godzilla, so the new 2014 one is in my top ten easily. Not saying that's one of the movies I suggest, believe me I know its considered terrible.
I really liked The Grey, Argo, and The Dark Knight is clearly better than Rises imo, I also really liked Zero Dark Thirty, The Hurt Locker and Avatar. I understand why you could hate Avatar also.
Sup Chris. I watched this film this evening off the back of your comments on Paul Dano's performance in your recent The Batman review, having been a fan of the guy in everything I've seen him in so far. I was completely engrossed for the whole runtime and enjoyed it immensely. Particularly impressed by how affecting the performances were (shoutout to Hugh Jackman POUNDING on that dashboard) and how distinct and unrelenting the tension and atmosphere were. So thanks a bunch!
Incidentally, I also booked myself and the lady into the cinema for the first time in a while to see The Batman this Friday. Partly because my wife just thinks it looks awesome -- and also adores detective shit / noir / Se7en, and so your review has me thoroughly convinced me that she'll love it -- and partly because of your oft-made and compelling argument regarding getting your ass off the couch to support the big-budget facemelters. So thanks in advance for that one also... I'm sure it's gonna be a blast!
My favorite of the year. Villeneuve should've won Best Director and Gyllenhaal should've won Best Supporting Actor.
As someone who watches detective/mystery movies a lot this just melted me. I actually felt that. And tge drama and the suspense and the characters. Moah... Chef kiss. And that eye twitch that Detective Loki involuntarily did!!! Wow. I wish i had an eye twitch after this. Jake Gyllenhaal plays his roles in such a magnificent way that makes you want to be an actor. The amount of details in this movie.mind blowing. Such a good movie.
I literally said out loud during my viewing..."The acting in this movie is so good that I feel like I'm intruding on someone's life."
Man, I love your reviews. You put into words all the thoughts that are scattered in my mind after I watch them. keep doing what you do.
That ending!!!!!!!!!! did he turn around or doesn't he?! ohhhh those bastards.....
Ofcourse he does but the reason why we didn't see shit after the actual ending is because we know what's gonna happen after Hugh gets out of the hole, he gets to go to prison and that wouldn't make for a "happy" ending. That's what I think
Yeah. but he did at least get to see his daughter and get closure that they caught the woman. I loved the ending, and would even class it as a happy ending, considering the overall tone of the movie.
Last night I finally sat down to watch this film after having it on my checklist for maybe 4 years now, probably ever since Blade Runner 2049 came out and introduced me to Denis' Filmography, which just so happened to become my definitive favourite film... up until last night. Prisoners, for me, is a masterpiece in all aspects, it's the first and only film that is so water tight and so perfect that I genuinely have no suggestions on how it could be better, even my previous favourite, Blade Runner 2049, has some parts that I feel could have been tweaked, but when the credits rolled on Prisoners I was simply in awe. I'd probably still say Blade Runner 2049 is my favourite film simply because of the impact it had on me and how it influenced my viewpoint of art as a whole and drove me into a more creative career path, but I have to concede that Prisoners is the Best film I have ever watched in my life.
Jst finished watching it and omg it was amazing at the end I was literally screaming he's right there! And use the WHISTLE! Lol
+darkness2160 Think back to when JG (the detective of the state police) is first at that house to question the granny (melissa leo), he is looking at that old car, and searching around/under it. She quickly comes out and asks him if he needs something and distracts him. He is a smart cop, and will remember this and will check and find Dover down there. He obviously heard the whistle blowing too (Dover was a survivalist Christian, a GOOD man, the kind of father anyone would strive to be like). I personally believe that the detective finds him down there (he will hear the source of the whistle coming from near the car, and remember how she stopped him from looking down there, because the first time he did the girls were actually down there!
I know this reply is a year late but... the ending still isnt going to be a happy one. Even if Loki does find Mr. Dover (which I think he will), Dover still is going to be charged with abducting and torturing the other guy. Hes looking at life in prison and hes only going to be able to see his daughter a few times from visiting which sucks even more since he never really got to see her. So even if he is found, the ending is still gonna be a shitty one for the family.
Not to mention that Anna will probably have mental problems for the rest of her life. Not just with the PTSD of being abducted but since the old lady gave her a mass dose of some drug (maybe the same LSD/Ketamine mixture?) at the very end when she was shot and killed. Notice how Bob Taylor and Barry AKA Alex Jones were both not right in the head, this couldnt just be a coincidence after the both of them were given large amounts of this drug so maybe it has really bad effects on underaged brains. You can also see how when Anna is in the wheelchair to say thank you to Loki, she doesnt say anything and she just looks at him blankly which could be the mental effects of the drug she had. Anyways, just goes to show how shitty life is going to be for them
Hands-down the best movie of the decade. Brilliantly directed, acted, scored, and produced. Jake and Hugh should have been nominated. And Jake should have won. He came up with the tick, the tattoos an entire backstory for his character. Unbelievable dedication.
spoilers.
I would like to see a video on symbolism in the movie "Prisoners". Gyllenhaal's Detective character Loki wearing the freemason ring? (in our culture today, we usually relate freemasonry with secret societies) There's also Gyllenhaal's character trying to find missing children? The two main characters representing institution (Gyllenhaal) and individual (jackman). Detective Loki being a juvenile criminal? (history of orphanage and 'rebelious' tattoos) in and out of institutions until he found himself in his last institution?(Police Department). Jackman is fighting a spiritual battle and has his torture shower for the 'alex jones' character looking like a confessional booth and then reaping what he sow when he was thrown into the ditch. (ditch shaped like a square, in the center of the 'maze' portrayed in the movie) In the beginning, Jackman is showing his son how to hunt an innocent animal, symbolizing our need as a species to pass down a hostile nature in order to merely survive (original sin. Similarly, the Alex Jones character has his sadistic nature passed down from his mother and father). It seems that Jackman has "lost his faith through the disappearance of his child" and becomes a demon amongst men. I've read that many religious cathedrals have mazes imbedded into them to symbolize man's journey through the world of sin to salvation.
As Jackman's character went into a sinful state, following the religious symbolism, Detective Loki had an 8 pointed star tattooed on his neck which is a religious symbol of rebirth and regeneration. a path from juvenile delinquency to saving two little girls.
These were off the top of my head, the movie is riddled with symbols. If you are a fellow youtuber looking for answers and you've spotted some in the movie for yourself, respond to my comment :) also, feel free to reject/accept any part from my interpretations.
Love your stuff Chris!
Dang man, just saw this movie tonight. Totally agree with everything you said, one of my favorite films of the year. It's so amazing to see a movie with a classic story, done in a completely stylized and original way. I feel as if some people will have a problem with the ending, until they realize the entire film was directed in the same way. A+, 10 out 10, whatever scale is necessary. Great review man!
Couldn't agree more. I always recommend this movie to everyone. It's one of the best movies I've seen in such a long time. Ever since I saw it I could not stop thinking about it!
I watched this last night on a whim and I was absolutely blown away. I agree with everything you said' I even came here this morning just to see what your take on it was! Flawless film.
Are we sure that the director didnt actually kidnap Hugh Jackman's kid? His performance in this movie was terrifyingly realistic
Rewatched this film with my brother last night and it is now my favorite Villeneuve film (previously was Blade Runner 2049). Such a masterpiece.
Can you do a spoiler video on this movie? A few of the connections were a bit muddled
One of the best movies I have ever seen, seeing it back in 2013 made me feel so tense and sad for the families, but after seeing it again last year, well I ended up loving it even more, the movie was simply perfect .
The riddler was a menace in this movie
Whenever I am brooding and contemplating new story ideas in my head I always have this score playing from Johann Johansson. Amazing OST that really set the tone
So I can't give this movie enough praise, but I was just a little let down by the motivation behind the villain... because I didn't feel like there was any besides them being a messed up person. Any commentary?
ShyProdigy it's more about losing your faith in God, there is a lot of religious symbolism in the film, main characters is a doomsday prepper and a devout Christian, Loki on the other hand is heavily implied to be a mason while the villain is an Atheist that lost her faith. As an Atheist myself I'm still trying to figure out what director had in mind.
Some people are just truly messed up individuals
Most underrated film of the year, best drama I have seen in years, whenever I think someone is angry, I will remember Jackman.
Hugh Jackman is absolutely amazing in this movie
There are about 20-25 movie review channels I have seen on youtube. Some are groups, while others are individuals. You are the best movie reviewer on youtube. Just like how good movies dont have to shout at you and make a big huge show and be loud to be amazing you do that. what makes you really great and unique is you dont just talk about plot, characters, and script. you also talk about sound, visuals, lighting, and editing. it is 1am. I signed in just to let you know that you are great! :)