Overview
A father's desperation leads him down a dark path when his daughter goes missing.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- oppressive
- foreboding
- harrowing
- late night thriller viewing
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a gripping, morally serious kidnapping thriller elevated by Denis Villeneuve's direction and commanding performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Keller Dover's attempt to recover Anna drives him beyond legal and ethical boundaries.
The RV, Alex Jones, and successive leads structure the investigation around incomplete and deceptive evidence.
The Pennsylvania streets, forests, and interiors are repeatedly rendered in gray, wet, claustrophobic imagery.
Dover acts outside the police process while Detective Loki continues a formal investigation under mounting pressure.
Films like Prisoners, and why
Mystic River
Shared child abduction investigation, morally compromised protagonists, bleak atmosphere, and escalating psychological tension.
Zodiac
Shared neo-noir crime investigation, institutional frustration, grim visual tone, and obsessive pursuit of hidden truth.
Gone Baby Gone
Shared vigilante morality, family trauma, procedural suspense, and intense moral ambiguity.
The Vanishing
Shared missing-child premise, corrosive parental desperation, and oppressive suspense-driven drama.
Movie Details
- Director
- Denis Villeneuve
- Release Date
- 2013-09-19
- Runtime
- 153 min
- Rating
- 8.1 / 10 (13552)
Cast
- Hugh Jackman
- Jake Gyllenhaal
- Viola Davis
- Maria Bello
- Terrence Howard
- Melissa Leo
- Paul Dano
- Dylan Minnette
- Zoë Soul
- Erin Gerasimovich
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Prisoners about?
- A desperate father and a relentless detective collide in a rain-darkened search for two abducted children, where justice becomes impossible to separate from revenge.
- What is Prisoners like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Prisoners as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Prisoners violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Prisoners as brutal.
- What did critics think of Prisoners?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a gripping, morally serious kidnapping thriller elevated by Denis Villeneuve's direction and commanding performances.
- Which films are like Prisoners?
- Films with a similar feel include Mystic River, Zodiac, Gone Baby Gone, and The Vanishing.
- How long is Prisoners?
- Prisoners runs 153 minutes.
- Where can I watch Prisoners?
- In United States, Prisoners is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
