One of the best thrillers of the 21st Century so far is back on Netflix and it could be the perfect antidote for anyone who’s not quite ready for festive cheer.
Featuring an A-list cast, it’s a star who’s best known for his performance as a beloved Marvel character who carries the film on his shoulders and delivers a career-best performance.
The high-stakes drama begins when two young girls are abducted on Thanksgiving and a suspect is arrested. However, shortly afterwards he’s let go when the detective in charge realises his stunted mental state would prevent him from committing the crime.
Despite this, a father of one of the girls is still convinced he knows something and takes it upon himself to hold the suspect prisoner and torture him until he talks.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, who is now best known for bringing the Dune films to screen, Prisoners is a must-watch thriller for the cold winter evenings (once the kids have gone to bed).
Hugh Jackman, who recently portrayed Wolverine for the ninth time, takes on the role of over-determined father Keller Dover, tapping into the same rage that made his turn as the unstoppable mutant so iconic.
Esquire called the performance “Hugh Jackman’s most captivating role”, writing: “In Prisoners, you watch Jackman go there and then keep going, not stopping until he too is a… prisoner of his own making.”
And Collider also agreed Jackman gave his best performance in the 2013 chiller. “Jackman remains one of the few comic book movie actors to practically own a character as intensely as Wolverine. However, Jackman’s best acting role exists outside any cinematic universe, and still taps into the rage that Wolverine is known for.”
They added: “The ferocity of Keller Dover, a desperate man who feels as though he truly has nothing to lose in the pursuit of retrieving his child, brings an even more grounded and compelling anger out of Jackman which is equal parts sympathetic and terrifying.”
Prisoners has also amassed an army of fans amongst casual and die-hard movie buffs, all of whom agree the heartstopping thriller wouldn’t work without the strength of Jackman’s performance.
One fan on Reddit admitted: “I wouldn’t consider him one of my favorite actors of all time. But I enjoy every performance I’ve ever seen him do. Prisoners takes the cake by far for me.
“His performance from the very first scene to the last is captivating. He has raw emotions that make me forget I’m watching someone act. In the moments when his character is at wits end, I feel it.
“Literally makes the hair on my arm raise. His range in this movie alone is something I haven’t seen in some actors’ entire career. How he didn’t get an Oscar for this is beyond me.”
The film also features stellar performances from other screen legends like Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis and Terrence Howard, with Paul Dano as Keller’s tortured prisoner.
Prisoners is available to stream on Netflix.