What to see by Denis Villeneuve: one of the great thrillers of the last decade that tells a heartbreaking story with Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal

The remarkable success ofdunes‘ is good news, first, for himself Denis Villeneuve -impressive to get out of such a garden well-, and second for lovers of science fiction. The Canadian already has moderately guaranteed a track record making big-budget, ambitious genre films that are out of the ordinary and that are also excellent.

Although, on the other hand, it is somewhat sad that this takes away the possibility of enjoying the other Villeneuve. the one he did modest and intense well-disguised melodramas of something else, be it intrigue or thriller. Medium-budget, adult films that are becoming more and more rare to see in the premieres of each week. In other words, it would be a shame not to have more like ‘prisoners‘, a great film that we can see this Sunday in the sixth and also via HBO Max and of Movistar+.

When despair roars

It is not exactly the lightest option that one can wear on Sunday, even having a plot line that, poorly expressed, sounds totally like an afternoon movie. Only the presence of major actors such as Jake Gyllenhaal either Hugh Jackmanas well as from melissa leo either paul danowe see that there is going to be a special deposit within what is going to tell us.

Jackman plays a father to whom the worst thing imaginable can happen: his daughter has disappeared along with her friend, and there is no trace of her. Bad business for the detective put in charge, played by Gyllenhaal, who is going to have to move heaven and earth to try to find clues that lead to the resolution of the case and the rescue of the girls. A process that will be arduous and long.

That, of course, is difficult for parents to bear. Fed up with the feeling that nothing is being done, and plunged into despair that his daughter is suffering helplessly, the father ends up taking matters into his own hands. But in his own parallel performance he will come to commit the most questionable acts, to say the least, and that they will play in a very uncomfortable way. the limits that one must take to save who he wants.

‘Prisoners’: the limits that are broken

Villeneuve’s work is full of explorations of how much one can tolerate to do what is due. Moral, emotional or even psychological limits. ‘Prisoners’ clearly enters the former, launching really painful stabs that lead you to put yourself in a situation and consider what you would be willing to do. His excellent direction of actors helps these characters to be accessible and empathetic within the extreme context.

It ends up being correct for not entering into a position of judging either. The Canadian presents the history and all the complexity of it, leaving you to draw the conclusions. It takes you through it very elegantly, but also decidedly dishearteningly, going into very dark places and employing well-measured intrigue.

With these elements create one of the most powerful thrillers of the last decade.