السجناء

This psychological crime thriller is one of the best out there in terms of gripping the audience. I watched it when I was 13 with a friend of mine after his step-dad recommended it. It freaked the hell out of me and left me with nightmares for weeks, simply due to the performances of Paul Dano, as the quiet and shy man-child and David Dastmalchian, as the creepy and slightly eerie red herring. Hugh Jackman played an excellent part showing the quick change from sane to distressed in few scenes after his child was kidnapped, and Jake Gyllenhaal perfected his role as a determined but stressed detective; it's a shame he wasn't Oscar nominated. I was hooked from minute one and was on the edge of my seat for the remainder of the film in order to find out the perpetrator. This film is very thoroughly thought through and is not too obvious nor too vague and will keep you watching. I only gave it an 8 rating rather than a 9 or 10 due to some minor plot holes - firstly, what was the 'maze' all about? And why was David Dastmalchian's character there, other than for distracting the viewer from the actual criminal?