Hugh Jackman isn't playing Mr Nice Guy any more, but then he is pushed to the limit in this deeply haunting thriller. He stars as the father of a kidnapped daughter, while Jake Gyllenhaal is the cop who, in his eyes, fails to put away the chief suspect: a young man with learning difficulties, played by Paul Dano. Jackman takes it upon himself to do his own questioning, and his tactics are heavy-handed to say the least. Denis Villeneuve's film can be difficult to watch, not only for the vividly portrayed violence, but also because of the disheartening turn of events that leads to other decent people (including Terrence Howard and Viola Davis, whose girl has also gone missing) becoming party to the torture. While Maria Bello portrays a mother blinded by grief, Jackman is always just a misstep away from being exposed, making the tension almost unbearable. The plot does spiral off towards the end, denting some of its credibility, but you're kept rooted to your seat throughout.
SUMMARY
Two young girls go missing in Pennsylvania over the Thanksgiving holidays, and suspicion initially falls on Alex Jones, a young man with apparent learning difficulties, who was spotted near the children's last known location. When no evidence of wrongdoing is found, Jones is freed from custody, but the distraught father of one of the missing youngsters is not convinced of Jones' innocence, and kidnaps him in the hope of extracting a confession by force. Thriller, starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano.
CAST & CREW
Keller Dover Hugh Jackman
Detective Loki Jake Gyllenhaal
Nancy Birch Viola Davis
Grace Dover Maria Bello
Franklin Birch Terrence Howard
Holly Jones Melissa Leo
Alex Jones Paul Dano
Ralph Dover Dylan Minnette
Captain Richard O'Malley Wayne Duvall
Father Patrick Dunn Len Cariou
Bob Taylor David Dastmalchian
Director Denis Villeneuve