Tense and discomforted would be how I describe my internal affairs while watching Canadian director, Denis Villeneuve’s studio film debut, Prisoners.

This detective thriller pulls you through the mystery of the kidnapping of two little girls that transpired on Thanksgiving Day.Prisoners shows not only the perilous and violent endeavor detective Loki, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, embarks on, but also the crucial moral dissonance the family of the missing girls endures, led by a prize-worthy performance from Hugh Jackman.

I’d strongly suggest a trip to the bathroom before this movie starts because every scene provides vital clues, which are sometimes red herrings to the mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

The Dover family is at the Birch family’s home for Thanksgiving, when a daughter from both families decides to walk back to their house just down the street without adult supervision in quest to find a missing red whistle. It isn’t long into the movie when Keller Dover, played by Hugh Jackman, notices the disappearance of both his and the Birch’s little girl and immediately calls the police.

Detective Loki is assigned to the case; his only lead being a suspicious beaten-up RV driven by feeble-minded Alex Jones, played by Paul Dano. Jones is arrested for suspiciously driving his RV into a tree, but is released after being debriefed by Loki who was unable to obtain anything substantial from him due to Jones 10-year-old competence.

Keller is furious about this and is vehemently convinced that Jones knows more than he displays. Dover decides to take matters into his own hands making a kidnapping of his own, Jones, to detain answers. The movie begs the moral question, how far would you go to protect a loved one?

Prisoners is suspenseful and engaging. The emotional portrayal from each actor is commendable and ties together the ethic-probing story. The monochrome picture is also remarkable in how it is suited to this thriller as well. Prisoners just opened this weekend, so take the opportunity to go the movies and catch this thriller while it’s still on the big screen.