Top critic
IBNLive
Film review ·
Despite an overlong final act, Prisoners is a remarkable exploration of characters under pressure. Packed with surprising twists, it keeps you guessing until the end. I'm going with four out of five. Don't miss it.


Weighted from an 8.0 average · Why?
A morally complex thriller that grips despite an overlong final act.
Verdict tier Recommended, most critics liked it, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
Not streaming in India
Critic consensus
Critics respond to Prisoners with strong enthusiasm, with scores ranging from 70 to 90 and a broadly positive consensus. The film is widely praised for its gripping, tense narrative that sustains engagement across its lengthy runtime, with several critics highlighting its emotional depth and moral complexity. Villeneuve's use of religious symbolism and morally ambiguous characters drew specific appreciation, with one critic noting the film's ability to shift audience sympathy toward the suspect as a mark of great cinema. The most consistent criticism is the film's extended running time, with its final act in particular flagged as overlong by at least one reviewer.
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 6 critic reviews · may contain errors
Report inaccuracyFrom the papers
Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
Despite an overlong final act, Prisoners is a remarkable exploration of characters under pressure. Packed with surprising twists, it keeps you guessing until the end. I'm going with four out of five. Don't miss it.
Top critic
Film review ·
There's plenty of religious symbolism but Villeneuve establishes a chilling moral subtext to it all and lets you make judgments – little details like these is what makes Prisoners so good. And when you veer from feeling hate to pity for the suspect, you know you're watching great cinema.
Film review ·
A film with many emotional components, the visceral panic, desperation and helplessness any parent would feel when their children are abducted, forms its bedrock. Each watershed point takes its own time to build. This ensures that you will want to pay attention to the details that makes Prisoners so enjoyable.
Film review ·
Prisoners is a tight gripping thriller that will engage you from the very first frame.
Film review ·
Prisoners is an intense film, even though it is on the longer side, it gets you hook, line and sinker. It gives you the same feeling when you read a highly engrossing novel, which you wish would never end.
Film review ·
A haunting story that will leave you a maze and make you question morality. A twisted film like this is sure to leave a lasting impression. If you watched The Frozen Ground and thought it was a classy crime-thriller, watch Prisoner's and you will be numbed. The film is easily one of the most disturbing film's of the year.
From our readers
7 ratings · user score 7.4
Prisoners. It's a slick dark crime investigation thriller raising few questions on moral ambiguity. The theme is based on kidnapping of two small children in a small town where police fails to make much progress and a parent takes matters into his own hands. Like Ben Affleck's smashing debut Gone Baby Gone, the movie's journey is about putting the pieces of clues together and in parallel questioning how much evil you can become to counter the evil? Lead actors Hugh Jackman and Jack Gyllenhall give their best and supporting actors provide nice support. Movie takes the conventional route of a crime drama but it's the unsettling intensity in atmosphere through grey background and chilling performances that keep you puzzled in a good way from start to finish. Like other classic crime thrillers, it asks you to provide your full attention and makes you discuss it more and more long after the movie has ended.
Credits
Hugh JackmanKeller Dover
Jake GyllenhaalDetective Loki
Viola DavisNancy Birch
Maria BelloGrace Dover
Terrence HowardFranklin Birch
Melissa LeoHolly Jones
Paul DanoAlex Jones
Dylan MinnetteRalph Dover
Erin GerasimovichAnna Dover
Wayne DuvallCaptain Richard O'Malley
Len CariouFather Patrick Dunn
David DastmalchianBob Taylor
Jeff PopeElliot Milland
Denis Villeneuve
Broderick Johnson
Adam Kolbrenner
Aaron Guzikowski
Jóhann Jóhannsson
Roger Deakins
Joel CoxEnglish films like Prisoners