---
title: "Prisoners"
year: 2013
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/prisoners"
fi1m_id: "prisoners"
imdb_id: "tt1392214"
tmdb_id: 146233
wikidata_id: "Q3404003"
fi1m_score: 81
critics_score: 73
critics_reviews: 20
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:10.067700+00:00"
region: "CO"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Prisoners (2013)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve · 2h 33m · MinCultura 15 · Drama, Thriller, Crime

## Identity

Prisoners

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/prisoners
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** prisoners
- **IMDb ID:** tt1392214
- **TMDB ID:** 146233
- **Wikidata ID:** Q3404003
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392214/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/146233, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3404003

**Fi1m score: 81** · Critics 73 from 20 reviews

*In a sentence:* A missing child, a furious father and the growing wish that he would stop helping

> Denis Villeneuve makes a punishing, gripping thriller out of a father’s certainty that violence will bring his child home. Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal keep the fear painfully credible when the mystery grows too elaborate.

## Synopsis

When his daughter is abducted, Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) becomes convinced that the search cannot be left to the police. Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) works the case, trying to find answers through an investigation full of false leads. Keller pursues his own course, prepared to use violence to get answers. Both men want to find the missing child, but their methods differ. As the search continues, Keller’s fear for his daughter hardens into certainty about his right to act, regardless of what the law allows or the detective advises.

## Review

*Prisoners* asks how much violence we will excuse when the person committing it is a frightened parent. Denis Villeneuve takes that question seriously enough to make the answer uncomfortable, without forgetting that a crime thriller has to keep us watching. This is gripping, distressing work, with a mystery that eventually becomes more elaborate than it needs to be. We recommend it, with a firm warning about the child abduction and torture: neither is incidental to what the film wants us to consider.

Hugh Jackman’s Keller Dover is an anguished father whose certainty leaves little room for anyone else’s judgement. Jackman makes the anger exhausting, deliberately so; the volume of the performance can wear, but it helps explain why other people’s caution enrages Keller. Jake Gyllenhaal’s Detective Loki proceeds more carefully, and Gyllenhaal gives his quieter performance enough force to stand beside Jackman without competing for noise. Their opposing approaches keep the search tense even before another clue turns up.

We were horrified by Keller’s use of torture, specifically by the certainty with which he treats another person’s suffering as necessary. Villeneuve makes the violence difficult to watch without turning it into an opportunity to admire the father’s resolve. Jackman’s anguish remains intelligible throughout, which makes these scenes harder to dismiss as the actions of someone safely unlike us. The film gives us time to consider what he is doing, even while the missing child makes every delay feel intolerable.

Roger Deakins’s grey, rain-soaked images do much of the work. The weather makes the search feel miserable before anyone speaks, and the bleakness never looks like an attractive excuse to light a thriller darkly. Patrice Vermette’s production design finds a similar unease in the run-down buildings, giving the actors surroundings that look unwelcoming without appearing fantastical. These are places ordinary people might live, which makes the thought of a child disappearing there harder to put aside.

Editors Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach give the two searches enough space for their different methods to register. Across 153 minutes, the pressure rarely slackens, though the sustained heaviness can be wearing. Jóhann Jóhannsson’s music makes the waiting harder to bear, but it sometimes presses the dread beyond what the performances need. The patient cutting serves the actors better, allowing their distress to hold our attention without constantly hurrying towards the next discovery.

The weakness is Aaron Guzikowski’s determination to keep the mystery turning. The clues sustain our attention, but the accumulation of false leads and complications starts to feel imposed on people whose distress has been so carefully established. There is nothing wrong with a false lead, but some of these take too much accepting. We begin to notice the writer arranging the investigation when we ought to be worrying about the child.

Within the vigilante thriller, the decision to keep a father’s violence this unpleasant matters. Villeneuve denies us the easy satisfaction of watching a good man take charge, and Jackman makes the father’s desperation convincing even when his behaviour is horrifying. Gyllenhaal’s restraint gives us somewhere else to look without making the investigation feel reassuring. Set aside an evening when there is no need for the film to cheer anyone up.

*Fi1m score 81, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find Prisoners a tense, disturbing thriller, with praise concentrated on Denis Villeneuve’s control of suspense and the performances of Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. Jackman’s desperate father supplies much of the emotional force, while Gyllenhaal’s restrained detective provides a counterweight. Roger Deakins’ grey, rain-soaked cinematography also draws approval for sustaining the dread, and many reviews find substance in the film’s questions about violence and moral compromise.

The disagreement is substantial, particularly over whether the plotting supports that seriousness. Even favourable reviews flag implausible twists and an overworked final act; less persuaded critics find the red herrings and grimness difficult to excuse. Slant Magazine argues that the treatment of vigilante justice is shallow despite the visual craft and tension. RogerEbert.com is more broadly dismissive of the story and heightened acting, though it singles out Gyllenhaal for praise.

## Straight answers

**Is Prisoners worth watching?**

*Prisoners* is worth watching for anyone who can stand a bleak, gripping thriller about child abduction and a father's turn to violence, and we scored it 81. Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal keep the fear credible across its 153 minutes, though the mystery grows more elaborate than it needs to. Choose an evening when nobody needs cheering up.

**How long is Prisoners, and what is it rated?**

*Prisoners* runs 2h 33m and is rated 15 by the MinCultura in Colombia. It is a drama and thriller film.

**Where can I watch Prisoners in Colombia?**

*Prisoners* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in Colombia, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from CO$7900.00. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Prisoners, and is it suitable for children?**

*Prisoners* is a 15 in the UK and R in the US, and it is not suitable for children. It centres on a child abduction and shows a father torturing a suspect, and Denis Villeneuve makes that violence hard to watch rather than exciting. Teenagers over the certificate age may cope; the squeamish should think twice.

**How does Prisoners compare to Memories of Murder?**

*Prisoners* and [*Memories of Murder*](https://film.one/film/memories-of-murder) are both investigations in which frustration makes the hunt for certainty dangerous, but they differ in temper. Bong Joon Ho's film is funnier, stranger and, we think, the better of the two, a police procedural about police who cannot do the procedure. *Prisoners* is heavier and more punishing, better suited to anyone who wants a father's vigilante violence taken seriously.

**What should I watch after Prisoners?**

After *Prisoners*, try [*The Vanishing*](https://film.one/film/the-vanishing) (1988, Fi1m 88): Another disappearance, with patient suspense and a similarly troubling interest in ordinary cruelty. Then [*Memories of Murder*](https://film.one/film/memories-of-murder) (2003, Fi1m 91): A police investigation whose frustrations make the search for certainty increasingly dangerous; and [*High and Low*](https://film.one/film/high-and-low) (1963, Fi1m 90): A kidnapping thriller that gives money, responsibility and police work equally serious attention.

### Reviews we read (27)

- **Variety**, Scott Foundas (90/100, inferred): Prisoners is a spellbinding, sensationally effective thriller with a complex moral center, powered by career-best performances from Jackman and Gyllenhaal and a rich script. Villeneuve flawlessly catches the moods and mores of small-town America in his English-language debut. [Read](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/prisoners-review-telluride-1200593140/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Betsy Sharkey (85/100, inferred): Prisoners is a captivating and relentless thriller that grabs you and refuses to let go, keeping the tightly constructed terror twisting. Jackman is unforgettable as the anguished father whose certainty never wavers. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-prisoners-movie-review-20130920-story.html)
- **Total Film**, Emma Dibdin (85/100, inferred): The critic hails a simmering pressure cooker of a thriller that is unforgiving but emotionally rewarding, sustained by powerhouse performances, taut scripting and Villeneuve’s tonally assured direction. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/prisoners-review/)
- **Film Comment**, Jonathan Romney (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's ability to balance nightmare and naturalism in its depiction of ordinary people pushed to extremes by a child's abduction. Villeneuve and the cast are singled out for creating a compelling, expressionist thriller that explores moral compromises without losing its grip. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/review-prisoners-jake-gyllenhaal-hugh-jackman-paul-dano/)
- **Radio Times**, Stella Papamichael (4/5): Villeneuve's deeply haunting thriller pushes Hugh Jackman to the limit as a father driven to vigilante torture after his daughter is kidnapped, creating unbearable tension. The violence and moral complexity make it difficult to watch, though the plot strains credibility toward the end. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-zvk9mw/prisoners/)
- **The New Yorker**, David Denby (80/100, inferred): Prisoners is a sombrely impressive thriller that digs into dark American paranoia and aggression with a charged sense of how the world works. Villeneuve handles volatile scenes without exaggeration, making the violence feel genuinely horrifying rather than fun. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/09/23/search-missions)
- **Time Out**, Ishbel Beeson (4/5): This gritty, suspenseful thriller about a father's vengeance after his daughter's abduction delivers a harrowing moral dilemma far more believably than similar films like Taken. Strong performances from Jackman and Gyllenhaal make it unmissable. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/prisoners)
- **Empire**, Dan Jolin (75/100, inferred): The critic praises the smartly structured, solidly performed thriller with intertwining races against time and a political undercurrent, noting it keeps tension and grimness unrelenting despite some clichés. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/prisoners-review/)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (70/100, inferred): Prisoners is a satisfying whodunit with artfully deposited clues and twists, absorbing attention with assurance as both a thriller and a moody drama. Gyllenhaal anchors the film with his portrayal of the cool, careful detective. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/movies/prisoners-stars-hugh-jackman-and-jake-gyllenhaal.html)
- **The Independent** (65/100, inferred): The critic describes a grim thriller about child abduction that leaks dread throughout, with harrowing torture scenes that make one wince and comparisons to Mystic River and Zodiac. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/film-review-prisoners-harrowing-scenes-will-make-you-wince-8842460.html)
- **Vulture**, David Edelstein (60/100, inferred): Finds the film works as a sure-fire thriller with a knot in the stomach and strong direction and acting, but criticizes it as ultimately a dumb genre picture with pulpy red herrings and undisturbing torture scenes. Singles out the dirge-like pacing and nuanced performances by Viola Davis and Melissa Leo. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2013/09/movie-review-prisoners.html)
- **Evening Standard** (50/100, inferred): The critic calls it a grim, Oscar-tipped thriller with stunning visuals and plenty of twists, but ultimately a whodunnit too classy to ignore yet too crude to respect. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/prisoners-film-review-8843565.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (2/4): Calls it the year’s most immaculate-looking drivel, a formulaic whodunit abundant in red herrings and lacking moral contemplation despite exquisite visuals and tension. Singles out the heavy-handed symbology and shallow treatment of vigilante justice. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/prisoners/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Sheila O'Malley (40/100, inferred): The film has effective aspects but is mostly ridiculous and features overwrought acting that undercuts its serious ambitions. Gyllenhaal's subtle performance as Detective Loki stands out amid the excesses. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/prisoners-2013)
- **Screen Daily**: Denis Villeneuve's impressive US debut is a potent dramatic thriller mixing suspense, emotion and intrigue with intense lead performances. It builds tension organically through character relationships and a foreboding mood, though some twists feel gratuitous. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/prisoners/5059994.article)
- **Sight and Sound**, Kate Stables: The film is a powerful child-abduction thriller that contrasts a desperate vigilante parent with a dogged detective, building dread through bleak visuals and moral dilemmas. It excels in performances and atmosphere but becomes over-egged in the final act with excessive misery and less subtlety than similar films. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/prisoners)
- **The Guardian**: A chilling atmosphere and big ideas compensate for a lack of credibility in this child-abduction thriller. Atmospheric cinematography lends doomy portent to the twisty plot, though holes in the narrative stretch credibility. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/sep/29/prisoners-hugh-jackman-gyllenhaal-review)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Stephen Farber: Praises the riveting, superbly crafted thriller as a smashingly effective melodrama that tightens its vise with twists and strong performances. Singles out Roger Deakins' visual eloquence in capturing the rainy atmosphere. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/prisoners-telluride-review-618578/)
- **The Telegraph**: Prisoners may have a trace of schlock in its DNA, but it haunts the viewer after watching. It succeeds in sustaining tension over 153 minutes with a committed cast and artful direction amid sleeting rain and run-down buildings. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10357022/Prisoners-review.html)
- **The Times**, Wendy Ide: Denis Villeneuve’s dense thriller navigates blurred moral lines and accusatory questions about the lengths one would go to save a missing child, leaving audiences with plenty to argue about. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/prisoners-0fb07n39qfh)
- **HeyUGuys**, Lisa Giles-Keddie (5/5): The critic praises the film's intense performances, especially Jackman's, and Villeneuve's taut direction in this dark thriller about a father's desperate search for his missing daughter, noting it provokes strong reactions. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/prisoners-review/)
- **Den of Geek**, Mike Cecchini (4/5): The review calls it a tight, unnerving thriller that subverts expectations of the genre while asking hard questions about violence and consequences. It singles out the strong performances and direction for making the nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime feel brisk despite some conventional Hollywood elements in the final act. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/prisoners-review/)
- **Digital Spy**, Simon Reynolds (4/5): The critic describes it as a brutal, exhausting plunge into the moral abyss and one of the bleakest studio films since Seven. Jackman's intense lead performance and Deakins' grey, rain-drenched visuals are highlighted as key to its tense, compelling atmosphere. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a517473/prisoners-review-hugh-jackman-jake-gyllenhaal-plunge-into-darkness/)
- **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (80/100, inferred): The critic commends the film's gripping narrative and intelligent script that explores moral dilemmas, highlighting strong performances by Jackman and Gyllenhaal and Deakins' cinematography, while noting minor plot issues. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/prisoners-2013-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B-): The film is a moderately compelling mystery and thoughtful drama that excels at the expected rather than transcending it, supported by striking cinematography and strong performances, especially from Hugh Jackman. [Read](https://collider.com/prisoners-movie-review/)
- **The Wrap**, Todd Gilchrist (65/100, inferred): The critic finds the film well-acted with strong performances from Jackman and Gyllenhaal and effective direction in depicting emotional fallout and moral ambiguity, but faults its reliance on conventional thriller elements, monologuing villains, and improbable red herrings that undermine the character work. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/prisoners-review/)
- **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (B+/A-): Praises Villeneuve's masterful direction and the film's emotional intensity and suspense, singling out the bold ending and performances, particularly Gyllenhaal's. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-prisoners-starring-hugh-jackman-jake-gyllenhaal-paul-dano-terrence-howard-more-20130920/)

## Details

- **Director:** Denis Villeneuve
- **Director:** Denis Villeneuve
- **Writer:** Aaron Guzikowski
- **Cinematography:** Roger Deakins
- **Editor:** Joel Cox, Gary D. Roach
- **Music:** Jóhann Jóhannsson
- **Production design:** Patrice Vermette
- **Costume design:** Renée April
- **Producer:** Kira Davis, Broderick Johnson, Adam Kolbrenner
- **Cast:** Hugh Jackman as Keller Dover; Jake Gyllenhaal as Detective Loki; Viola Davis as Nancy Birch; Maria Bello as Grace Dover; Terrence Howard as Franklin Birch; Melissa Leo as Holly Jones; Paul Dano as Alex Jones; Dylan Minnette as Ralph Dover
- **Runtime:** 2h 33m
- **Certificate (MinCultura):** 15
- **Release (Colombia):** 8 November 2013
- **Genres:** Drama, Thriller, Crime
- **Budget:** $46 million
- **Box office:** $122 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doPNgss-ntc

## Where to watch in Colombia

- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Amazon Prime Video: rent CO$7900.00, hd
- Apple TV: rent CO$9900.00, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy CO$14900.00, hd
- Apple TV: buy CO$24900.00, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, ID, IE, IN, IT, JP, MX, NO, NZ, PA, PL, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2014: Best Cinematography (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Vanishing* (1988), Fi1m 88: Another disappearance, with patient suspense and a similarly troubling interest in ordinary cruelty — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-vanishing.md)
- *Memories of Murder* (2003), Fi1m 91: A police investigation whose frustrations make the search for certainty increasingly dangerous — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/memories-of-murder.md)
- *High and Low* (1963), Fi1m 90: A kidnapping thriller that gives money, responsibility and police work equally serious attention — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/high-and-low.md)
- *Zodiac* (2007), Fi1m 91: For the procedural detail and the strain of living with an unfinished investigation — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/zodiac.md)
- *The Secret in Their Eyes* (2009), Fi1m 78: A murder investigation shaped by regret, obsession and the difficulty of moving on — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-secret-in-their-eyes.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/prisoners