Danalyser

Rating: 9.5/10

Summary Prisoners isn't just one of the best thrillers of the last decade - it's one of the best films ever made. Denis Villeneuve directs with a precision and intensity that pulls you into small-town America and refuses to let go. The story of two missing girls and the desperate search that follows is both a detective mystery and a searing character study, showing how everyone involved becomes a prisoner of their own fear, rage, grief, and obsession. Hugh Jackman delivers a career-best performance, raw and ferocious, while Jake Gyllenhaal's quietly intense detective work adds a perfect counterbalance. The film is beautifully shot, perfectly paced, and emotionally devastating - a masterwork that demands to be seen, processed, and remembered.

Full Review Prisoners is, without question, one of the best movies ever made - and one of the most criminally underappreciated. When it was released, it flew under the radar, earning far less awards attention than it deserved. Looking back now, with Denis Villeneuve's name attached to towering works like Dune Part One & Two and Blade Runner 2049, it's astonishing that this film wasn't celebrated as the masterpiece it is.

The premise is brutally simple: two young girls are abducted, and their families, the police, and the community are thrown into an all-consuming search to find them. From that setup, the film becomes a relentless exploration of human nature - what we are capable of when pushed to our limits, how we grieve, and how we justify our actions in the name of justice. The title is perfect: everyone in the story becomes a prisoner. The parents are prisoners of their grief, the detective is a prisoner of his duty, the suspect is a prisoner of circumstance, and even we as the audience become trapped in the moral tension of what we're watching.

Hugh Jackman gives what should have been an Oscar-winning performance as Keller Dover, a father whose search for his daughter becomes an all-consuming obsession. His portrayal is raw, visceral, and deeply human - you believe every desperate choice he makes, even when they turn dark. Jake Gyllenhaal's Detective Loki is the perfect counterpoint: calm, methodical, and unraveling the case piece by piece while quietly showing his own cracks. Their performances together create a rare kind of cinematic electricity.

The supporting cast is equally strong. Terrence Howard gives a surprisingly restrained, emotional turn, Paul Dano is haunting and unforgettable, and Melissa Leo adds depth and quiet menace. The film's cinematography is breathtaking - Roger Deakins frames every scene to immerse you in the cold, damp, oppressive atmosphere of small-town Pennsylvania. It's not just beautiful to look at, it's suffocating, and that's the point.

One of the most impressive things about Prisoners is how quickly and cleanly it sets up its world. Within the first fifteen minutes, you know who everyone is, what their relationships are, and what's at stake. There's no wasted motion - it just drops you into this world and lets you live there.

It's not an easy watch. It's a heavy, relentless film that explores themes of morality, vengeance, and faith. But that's what makes it so special - it challenges you. It makes you think about what you would do in the same situation, and it leaves you with questions long after the credits roll.

Every time I revisit this movie, I'm floored by how perfectly it all comes together - the performances, the direction, the writing, the cinematography. It's a near-perfect thriller, one of the most emotionally affecting films I've ever seen, and easily one of my all-time favourites. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favour: watch it now, and prepare to sit with it afterwards.

Rating: 6.5/10

Summary Kiss the Girls starts with a gripping premise and a strong performance from Morgan Freeman as Dr. Alex Cross, but loses its way through inconsistent tone, jarring editing, and unresolved storylines. The first act is genuinely compelling and sets up what feels like it could be an exceptional psychological thriller, but the middle section jumps erratically from scene to scene, leaving character motivations inconsistent and emotional stakes underdeveloped. Ashley Judd's Kate McTiernan has moments of brilliance but never feels fully explored, especially considering the trauma her character has endured. The film's ending is abrupt and leaves several plot threads hanging, creating a frustratingly incomplete experience. It's a watchable entry in the 90s crime thriller genre, but one that leaves you wishing for a tighter, more emotionally resonant version.

Full Review Kiss the Girls is exactly the kind of thriller I usually love - dark, tense, and filled with mystery - and at first, it seems to deliver on all those fronts. The opening act is excellent, pulling you into a disturbing story of abductions and the hunt for a serial predator. Morgan Freeman is outstanding as Dr. Alex Cross, bringing a sense of calm intelligence and determination to the role. The setup made me wonder why I hadn't watched this sooner.

Unfortunately, once the movie gets past its first 30 minutes, it becomes much more uneven. The editing is the most distracting part - characters' emotions and motivations seem to shift wildly from scene to scene, almost as if we're missing pieces of the story. Ashley Judd's Kate McTiernan is a prime example of this. Her escape from captivity is powerful and tense, but within minutes, her fear and trauma vanish and she carries on as if little has happened. It feels like the film missed a huge opportunity to explore what surviving an ordeal like this would actually do to someone.

This lack of emotional continuity is everywhere. Characters die and the film barely acknowledges it before rushing into the next scene. Major subplots - including those involving Bill Nunn's Samson, Jeremy Piven's Henry Castillo, and William Converse-Roberts' Dr. Wick Sachs - are introduced but not meaningfully resolved. Even the timeline feels unclear: are these events taking place over days, weeks, months? It's never entirely established.

That tonal inconsistency carries into the final act. The climax itself is tense and has an ending I didn't expect, but it's so abrupt that it leaves you with more questions than answers. The final moments also hint at a relationship between Alex Cross and Kate McTiernan - romantic or paternal - but never clarify it, leaving their dynamic feeling unresolved.

It's frustrating, because the film has everything it needs to be excellent: a great lead, a strong supporting cast, and a gripping core story. When it works, it works well, delivering tense moments and a compelling mystery. But the execution is too disjointed, too choppy, to give the story the weight it deserves.

If you love crime thrillers, Kiss the Girls is still worth a watch - just go in knowing it's a film that squanders some of its potential. It's a decent entry in the 90s thriller canon, but it's also one that leaves you wishing for a smarter edit, deeper character work, and an ending that lands as strongly as the premise promised.

Rating: 7/10

Summary Copycat is a solid 90s psychological thriller with a great lead turn from Sigourney Weaver, strong support from Holly Hunter, and an intriguing premise that never quite reaches its full potential. The story of an agoraphobic criminal psychologist helping police track a serial killer has moments of real tension, but it's let down by tonal inconsistencies, dated technology, and over-the-top villains who feel cartoonish rather than chilling. There are flashes of brilliance, especially in scenes where the killer's presence feels invasive and claustrophobic, but too often the film shifts gears into something lighter and sillier than it should. It's an enjoyable watch, but compared to the heavy hitters of the genre - like Seven or Silence of the Lambs - it feels more like a curious time capsule than an enduring classic.

Full Review Copycat is an interesting watch, especially if you love 90s psychological thrillers. It has all the right ingredients - a smart premise, a great lead, and an investigation that keeps you engaged - but it also stumbles in ways that keep it from being one of the true genre standouts.

Sigourney Weaver is excellent as Dr. Helen Hudson, a criminal psychologist suffering from crippling agoraphobia after a near-fatal encounter with a serial killer. She brings real vulnerability and depth to the role, and her performance grounds the movie even when other elements feel heightened. Holly Hunter is reliably strong as the detective working the case, and Dermot Mulroney gives a solid performance as her partner.

The core idea - a serial killer copying the methods of other famous killers - is fascinating and allows for some genuinely unsettling moments. The film plays with the concept of surveillance and voyeurism, using cameras and screens to heighten the sense of danger, which works well in places. Unfortunately, it also leans heavily on visual gimmicks like tilted, distorted camera angles to show Helen's panic, which quickly becomes repetitive and even distracting.

Where the film stumbles most is in tone. William McNamara's killer feels cheesy for much of the runtime, almost cartoonish, which undercuts the sense of dread the film is otherwise trying to create. The first killer we meet is even more over the top, pulling you out of what should be terrifying moments. There are scenes of real tension - particularly when Helen is confronted in her apartment - that hint at how powerful this film could have been if it fully committed to a claustrophobic, oppressive atmosphere.

The dated technology is another sticking point. It's an unavoidable product of its time, but because so much of the investigation hinges on it, it stands out even more. Combined with some odd character decisions and rushed emotional beats - deaths of significant characters barely get a moment of reflection before the plot moves on - the film sometimes feels more like a procedural TV episode than a fully fleshed-out psychological thriller.

Despite all of this, Copycat is still a good time if you like the genre. There are moments of real suspense, and Weaver carries the film effortlessly. But when you compare it to the truly great thrillers of its era - Seven, The Silence of the Lambs, even Primal Fear - it falls a little short. It's a movie that could really shine with a modern remake that leans into its best elements: the fear of being trapped, the slow build of dread, and the brilliant core concept of a killer copying history's most notorious murderers.