Read Negative User Reviews for Prisoners

3

LouisCarveFeb 9, 2014

This movie is terrible if you like your films to make a modicum of sense. It's truly an unbelievable mess which only angered me as I watched it to its ridiculous conclusion. The cast is great, the acting is good too I just wonder why no-oneThis movie is terrible if you like your films to make a modicum of sense. It's truly an unbelievable mess which only angered me as I watched it to its ridiculous conclusion. The cast is great, the acting is good too I just wonder why no-one was screaming at the director and asking the simple question if everyone in this town is retarded or has an IQ below that of a chimp. Like others have said it is well shot and the music is suspenseful and the core of the story is really good, but the characters are a major let down and the script was weak. There are so many holes in this that the leaps the characters make, for this film to progress its story are truly ridiculous. This was no thriller, there was no suspense and seemed pretty obvious to me despite the lengths the writers went to as an attempt to confuse the audience. Its shallow nonsense that's all I can say. It does not deserve the score it currently has (8.1).

On the other hand if your the kind of person that believes that movies should have no real substance or that you don't understand what that means. Or your the kind of person who just wants to sit back let the movie play and wash over you while munching popcorn and having a conversation, then this film is excellent!… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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3

mniroSep 23, 2013

This is classic case of STYLE over SUBSTANCE! It is beautifully shot, the music is spot on... it's moody and pulls you IN. It is very visually engaging. The story and plot have more holes in them then a golf course!! The torture scenario isThis is classic case of STYLE over SUBSTANCE! It is beautifully shot, the music is spot on... it's moody and pulls you IN. It is very visually engaging. The story and plot have more holes in them then a golf course!! The torture scenario is just ridiculous, no one would go along with this... nor take it this far.
Also, the audience is deliberately mislead throughout, to engage viewers, so they're scratching their heads, but when it all starts to unfold... it's just an unbelievable mess. I WAS engaged during the movie... it was the ending and then all the thought in hind-sight that made me hate this more and more. I feel like I was held 'prisoner' tricked into waiting for something that didn't pan out. It's a RENTAL folks. You'll enjoy it a lot more at home when you're not paying or expecting something truly worthwhile.… Expand

6 of 14 users found this helpful68

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3

raviopatraNov 17, 2013

I was first intrigued to see it by the trailer and it really did seem like a great thriller. With Jackman, Gyllenhaal, Leo, and Davis in the cast, I think it was right of me to expect a first class motion pictures. But to my surprise, theI was first intrigued to see it by the trailer and it really did seem like a great thriller. With Jackman, Gyllenhaal, Leo, and Davis in the cast, I think it was right of me to expect a first class motion pictures. But to my surprise, the movie sucks.

the first one hour runs smoothly. I love how they get into the real problem (kidnapping) so quickly into the opening and how it slowly starts tearing the two families apart. Right at the moment it starts dealing with past unsolved kidnapping cases that Det. Loki thinks are related to the current case, it all drops dead to the point that I feel like I'm being held hostage to stay in the theater with a gun to my head just to see the movie ends.

The "maze" plot is totally unsolved and it was really a huge let-down for me. Then comes the snakes in the boxes. While it was pretty scary and intense (despite the poor VFX), it was also left unsolved. WTF was that? And finally, the ending did not payoff the two and a half hours spent at all!! Seriously, even killing Jackman's character is much better than leaving it hanging on like that.

At last, despite my man-crush on Gyllenhaal and genuine love for Leo, I wouldn't want to see the movie for another run even if it was for free.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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2

andarial6670Sep 13, 2016

Acting: 8/10
Plot: 0/10
Well-Directed: 0/10 Overall: 2/10 This is a two and a half hour joke that doesn't have a good punchline. It's the worst kind of mystery/suspense/thriller: the kind that has plotholes that are neither explainedActing: 8/10
Plot: 0/10
Well-Directed: 0/10
Overall: 2/10

This is a two and a half hour joke that doesn't have a good punchline. It's the worst kind of mystery/suspense/thriller: the kind that has plotholes that are neither explained nor necessary, early obvious cues that foreshadow too much of the rest of the movie, and....is far too long.

Here is the entire premise of this two and a half hour drivel summarized in one sentence: "After our child died, we started kidnapping other peoples' kids to counter God's wrath".… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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2

ariel84Mar 11, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i watched this because i miss "true detective". thought it might have a similar vibe. wrong. it's tricked out schlock.. hugh jackman overacts loudly and badly, the red herrings pile up, and the absolute worst is that paul dano is tortured horrifically and, in the end, the film wants us to believe it'll all be ok for him in the end. ugh. avoid.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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1

amysusernameSep 21, 2013

I absolutely hated this movie.
Judging by the critic reviews, it only got a high score from them because it's pretty and the style is interesting, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that all the user scores are so high.
II absolutely hated this movie.
Judging by the critic reviews, it only got a high score from them because it's pretty and the style is interesting, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that all the user scores are so high.

I will admit that it's a visually pleasing movie, but not only does the mediocre plot drag on forever, it also relies on cheap tricks (like the plot "twist" near the end) and doesn't fill the expectations built up in the trailer (the truth behind the story was completely unbelievable)

And even though most people seem to think the characters are well thought through, all I saw was tropes. Hugh Jackman's character is the ruthless badass who'd do anything to protect his child, his wife is a stereotypical mother, doing nothing but crying for her lost child.
Detective Loki is the excellent detective with no social life, and the villains are your cookie cutter Hollywood serial killers.
Joy's parents seemed to be the only characters who weren't one dimensional, yet they had some of the least screen time.

One could argue that it's more about the message than the story itself, but an interesting message doesn't make up for a drab plot and poor character design.… Expand

14 of 49 users found this helpful1435

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3

TheHague67Sep 22, 2013

...Terrible...First off, this was produced by Mark Wahlberg so you would think it would be, at the very least, mildly badass. Plus it has Hugh Jackman, Jake Gillyhall, the Black Guy from Ironman, and the kid from There Will Be Blood plays an...Terrible...First off, this was produced by Mark Wahlberg so you would think it would be, at the very least, mildly badass. Plus it has Hugh Jackman, Jake Gillyhall, the Black Guy from Ironman, and the kid from There Will Be Blood plays an assburger.
That aside, the movie starts off like any other kidnap movie. Happy family, parents not paying attention, rapist scoops up the goods. Pretty standard. The suspect gets off clean, the police dont even contemplate anyone else as a possibility and Hugh Jackman takes justice into his own hands. Which sounds exciting right? Wrong. The plot proceeds to drag on for 2 and a half hours of blatantly cut and dry detective work, some moralistic struggles with Jackman and the mom giving Wolverine crap for not protecting them better. Which pisses me off cuz at least HE didnt spend the first week after their kid got snatched up drowning his sorrows in Zoloft and Puffs Plus Tissues. All that aside, this team of Oscar Award winners couldn't make up for the horrendous plot. Kinda makes me wonder if Jackman actually read the script or if that ability was taken with his kid. In the end, all I could feel was that the real Prisoners in this story was the audience themselves.… Expand

6 of 21 users found this helpful615

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0

amazex203Feb 14, 2014

This movie rating is too high .i'm tries too make it appropriate by give this score.
i felt really disappointed because the plot of it much weaker than most of each TV series like Sherlock , Blacklist , mentalist , criminal mind.
but i'mThis movie rating is too high .i'm tries too make it appropriate by give this score.
i felt really disappointed because the plot of it much weaker than most of each TV series like Sherlock , Blacklist , mentalist , criminal mind.
but i'm accepted only for the good performance of artiste.
in my opinion this movie doesn't deserve good score because story is too bad, too common.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Spoiler alert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
especially the last scene is unacceptable it's too stupid Hugh Jackman die for nothing… Expand

2 of 10 users found this helpful28

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3

TheKiddyDec 17, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am watching this movie now. (spoiler coming) But what I see is a sadist using the disappearance of his child to torture another human being --and two weak characters, the underused, underwritten, undeveloped, almost forgotten parents of the other child. Oh, and an essentially passive detective.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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0

new_moonMar 31, 2014

this movie is Absolute waste of time .. i am so sorry for mark Wahlberg ..this movie is so much worse than movie 43. i am glad that i did not waste my money and downloaded it for free

0 of 28 users found this helpful028

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3

muldjordJan 20, 2020

I'll give it a 7 for the first hour. Then it was all downhill from there. I had no idea what was going on and the movie relied too heavily on dumb luck for any progression to be made.
It felt like the actors were even more confused than II'll give it a 7 for the first hour. Then it was all downhill from there. I had no idea what was going on and the movie relied too heavily on dumb luck for any progression to be made.
It felt like the actors were even more confused than I was. I'm guessing they had no idea in what context they were acting either as the script is so filled with pointless things that are never explained. And it ends with a whimper, so the pay-off never comes.

Absolute waste of time. Snooze-fest.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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0

hyunwest123Mar 5, 2022

hated the story. the mystery was disappointing when revealed and the story is suffocating/depressing imo. didnt quite like the characters either, they were all super angsty and really annoying.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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3

BroyaxAug 9, 2018

J'aime bien ce Denis Villeneuve, si, si, je vous assure : il est l'un des rares metteurs en scène à ne pas mettre en scène n'importe comment ; "techniquement", il ne filme jamais comme une andouille, ne secoue pas ses caméras, soigne sesJ'aime bien ce Denis Villeneuve, si, si, je vous assure : il est l'un des rares metteurs en scène à ne pas mettre en scène n'importe comment ; "techniquement", il ne filme jamais comme une andouille, ne secoue pas ses caméras, soigne ses plans, sa photographie et tutti quanti. Oui, à notre époque, cela doit être mentionné et on se doit de donner une mention à Denis Villeneuve.

Certes, il est peut-être un peu lent dans sa réalisation mais ce n'est pas vraiment un défaut, loin s'en faut... sauf quand ça touche la narration elle-même (il ya des limites à tout). Ce qui ne veut pas dire qu'il ne fait pas de la merde de temps à autre et peut-être un peu trop souvent que d'habitude, car jusqu'ici à part Incendies que je n'ai pas vu, on ne peut pas dire qu'il excelle. Heureusement, Sicario est l'exception (qui confirme la règle sans doute).

Or, donc ce Prisoners n'est pas bon ! Pourtant, ça devrait l'être avec cette belle mise en scène, cette excellente distribution (tout le monde est très bien, vraiment, y compris le bourrin Jackman) et une histoire à la Zodiac qui finit par se décanter, éventuellement...

Deux heures et demi à peu près, le film dure deux heures et demi et on tombe régulièrement sur des trous dans le récit, des omissionsen pagaille et des ellipses... j'avoue ne pas comprendre comment il fait le père Denis ! il faudrait demander au scénariste qui m'a l'air à côté de ses pompes.

Je disais que Denis est souvent un peu lent mais là aussi, on se demande comment il a fait pour étaler si peu de choses sur une aussi grande tartine, car franchement en une heure quarante, ça pouvait être plié ce bordel à cul qui multiplie les fausses pistes, les faux suspects et les vrais coupables.

Malgré son ambiance appréciable, froide et humide, Prisoners est diantrement laborieux et singulièrement désordonné... et décidément trop l-e-n-t. On comprend qu'il veuille développer sa partie psychologique mais ça passe mal à la digestion. Surtout qu'il élude bien des choses ! mais peut-être que son projet initial durait neuf heures, qui sait ?

Si j'étais toi, Denis, je virerai ce scénariste en tout cas et je remettrais les points sur les i et les barres sur les t : je crois qu'il te prend pour un jambon. Et nous avec, par la même occasion.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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3

MaurDLMar 19, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In Somewhere Pennsylvania, a town where no one locks their doors or windows, there is an inexplicable kidnapping epidemic. A pair of negligible parents are then sent into dismay when their daughters wind up mysteriously missing.

The protagonist, a belligerent father, continually antagonizes the detective-with-a-compulsive-blinking-problem that is trying to help him, while his distraught wife does drugs all day, every day. He then proceeds to abduct, imprison and brutally torture the prime suspect after a lack of evidence renders him incapable of conceiving any other alternatives.

The question of the film centers around the location of the missing children yet, despite his increasingly cruel variations of torture yielding no results over several days, the thought never crosses his mind to ask (or check) if they're at the suspect's home.

Even after a culprit is apprehended, the father continues his exercise in madness until his victim, himself abducted as a child, has to tell him the obvious and directs him to search in the first place he should have looked.

Deranged (and drunk), the father goes to the home where his daughter is being held, donning his best handyman disguise. Intent on bungling the rescue of his child, he then places himself in a compromising position, allowing the true villain to (ironically?) imprison him, before the utterly inept authorities arrive to finish what he couldn't.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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