Considering PRISONERS the centerpiece of an unofficial pre-Taylor Sheridan blue-collar crime film trilogy circa 2012-13, Scott Cooper's OUT OF THE FURNACE and Andrew Dominik's KILLING THEM SOFTLY being the other two: bleak, brutal, unflinching, and breathtakingly beautiful (thank you Roger Deakins and Jóhann Jóhannson (RIP) – what a marriage of visual and music) in all of its bleak and unflinching brutality (emotional and physical), PRISONERS is one of the best studies of loss and the consequences of rage at one's own impotence I've seen.

Three career-best performances: Hugh Jackman (2019's BAD EDUCATION notwithstanding); Jake Gyllenhaal (my appreciation for and and recognition of my under-appreciation of his talent – though Dan Gilroy's NIGHTCRAWLER remains my favorite Gyllenhaal role – grew here by leaps and bounds; and Melissa Leo, which is saying something considering almost every performance from her could be considered a career-best.

Why, exactly, it took me more than 10 years to get around to seeing this masterwork is, like most things, beyond me. Duly added to the "procure blu / add to library pronto" list.