What ending do we choose? Seems like something he would do in private. The Ministry of Justice said 2.02 per day is spent on . trying to mimic where the pit is in Hollys yard (where Holly puts Keller and Keller finds the whistle). She was elected to her first two-year term in November 2022. Not sure though) and it came out before Holly and her husband started the abductions. CSP-SAC is on 882 acres, sharing this property with Folsom State Prison, Folsom Women's Facility, and California Prison Industry Authority. I dont know where his faith lie, but it was grace that got him through. $12.99 Read with Our Free App. Who was the guy in the priests basement? Theres clearly an attempt to get us to think about listening to the album in reverse chronological order. Chris, this is an excellent analysis that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Prisoners could have presented information in the way most movies dostacking details in a chronological, linear fashion thats digestible and allows viewers to go from a place of total ignorance to a place of complete understanding. Thanks! This item: Captives of Liberty: Prisoners of War and the Politics of Vengeance in the American Revolution (Early American Studies) by T. Cole Jones Hardcover $33.69 Running from Bondage: Enslaved Women and Their Remarkable Fight for Freedom in Revolutionary America by Karen Cook Bell Hardcover $15.80 Review So right there in the last names of the two main families, we see more religious references. Those three movies do the normal thing of stacking information so that as the plot progresses we feel more knowledgeable and empowered about whats going on. If the dogs came by at all. She seems to think it is Kellar but thats obviously wrong. in public-policy analysis, UNC-Chapel Hill; master's of divinity . And this guy being a carpenter, someone who turns living trees into objects. . Also known as: infinity. Investigators from the Texas Attorney General's office walked into Holly's workplace on Tuesday and. The film has an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano. Or in the movie Us, we have subterranean beings created by the government. Alex Jones is Paul Sandow's older brother; Crimes & Criminals; Canon-Typical Violence; Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault; Alex Is A Good Brother; Alex & Loki have an unlikely partnership . It opens with a shot of a snowy forest, where a deer quietly noses around for food. And part of Taylors thing is recreating the maze. We see how he buries the mannequin in his yard. And yeah, the book was about what Holly and her husband were doing. The disappearance of Holly Jones Holly left home at 6:00 PM while it was still daylight, but as the darkness grew, her parents, Maria Jones and George Stonehouse, became concerned. While Norse mythology roots in paganism and associates with the natural world. Yeah, I had the same sense of spirituality. But giving the audience clues that Keller is facing lengthy prison and Alex is going home Well it is quite the opposite in reality. None of us really wanted to do that version, but we wanted to make sure we had it in case once the film was put together it seemed like it really needed it. Hi Chris, thank you. Hopefully youre thinking, Thats an in-road!. Or will Keller die in the hole Holly Jones had left him in? Be really hard to find. But the CSI experts would surely have noticed if the van had been cleaned very recently, and that small detail would have been suspicious as well. The highly anticipated conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology by #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black. You did an amazing job! When hes in police custody, the police demand to know where the abducted girls are and Taylor spends 3 hours drawing a maze to show them. Why couldnt Loki identify the dead body as that of Hollys husband? Sigyn, his spouse, sat with him holding a basin beneath the dripping venom, yet when the basin became full, she carried the poison away; and during this time the poison dripped on to Loki, causing him to writhe with such violence that all of the earth shook from the force, resulting in what are now known as earthquakes. (Wikipedia). With his English language debut, Villeneuve created a story layered with suspense, thrill, and excitement. Theyll each find salvation because of it. 9 talking about this. It is an experience that invites us to peel off the layers and try to make meaning from its moving images. She was portrayed by Melissa Leo, who also playedSally in Oblivion. Holly also told Keller that Alex was just taking the girls for a drive in the RV, so maybe they werent frightened until they got to Hollys house and she decided to keep them. What if he was like the sex offender priest, who thought no one would believe him if he spoke out, so the priest thought that only HE could stop Hollys husband the way that he did! . The facility was expanded in 1996 and now includes 18 . Your movie analysis is very very great. Germanic paganism/mythology (of which Norse is an offshoot) put great symbolic importance on trees and forests and stones. It is of course not completely impossible because Holly could have cleaned the van thoroughly. The whole piece around the priest and Hollys husband seems a little loose to me. So, maybe after recalling what Annas mother said, he might be able to link that to the sound of the whistle at Hollys house and try to find Keller. So the star on Det. But sometime during Kellers torture of Alex, the dynamic changes. Top Holly Jones Prisoners Quotes As long as there is poverty in this world, no man can be totally rich even if he has a billion dollars. Ephemeral, spiritual things that operate on a metaphysical level. The overall rate of having been a victim was 35% for perpetrators and 11% for non-perpetrators. One interesting thing Ive noticed is that usually the highest quality movies find a way to distill their themes or narrative in the opening shot/scene. And then refuses to reveal anything to Keller, despite the constant torture, despite Kellers utter desperation and desolation. This really helped me make sense of what I found a disturbing and confusing film. Since her son's death, she has become a cold, deeply disturbed and depraved human being, wanting nothing but for others to feel her pain. Good people do bad things, bad people do good thingsThe wicked knowingly and methodically try to spread their wickedness to as many as they can. Thats cool, thats interesting. Rather than face the sobering realization that she may have left the protection of her family entirely on her husbands shoulders ( according to the screenplay, she drank wine and was tipsy at the Thanksgiving get-together, but he just drank milk), she would rather sleep because she loves her children and husband deeply and gladly serves what he prepares in the more safe and secure world that he is trying to create for themso its complicated. Hi Chris and everyone who has commented. Find latests mugshots and bookings from Abilene and other local cities. Tormenting those families we have Holly Jones. In 2012, CSP-SAC was the first institution in California to achieve American Correctional Association accreditation with 98.6 percent score. She brings him to a hole underneath a car, forcing him in, shooting him in the leg and leaving him there. That was still the day of Joys escape, maybe only a few hours later. https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/733092911. Also in the hospital when Joy says you were there. Or Fight Club deals with the mind and the opening credits occur while the camera travels through the main characters brain and out a poor of their forehead. It is mentioned, in the scene discussing the FBI agents book in Taylors house, that Taylor was abducted as a child but escaped after three weeks. But if the kid WAS named Alex, I think Barry/Alex is saying that when he was a kid, the Joneses lured him to their house by asking if Barry wanted to play with their son. I dont think I said that the Birchs house is Alexs old house. Hes thematically relevant to Prisoners but not crucial to what happens and how it happens. Alex knows where the children are, but if he wants his Aunt in jail, and therefore stopped for good, he cant tellso its complicated. Experienced Human Resources professional with a Law Degree focused on Labor & Employment Law coursework. Its always really nice to have that experience where you grow into appreciating a movie. I felt he was trapped moreso in the house by the news vans crowding round. Alex Jones is Paul Sandow's older brother; Crimes & Criminals; Canon-Typical Violence; Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault; Alex Is A Good Brother; Alex & Loki have an unlikely partnership; Slow Burn; A lot of hot-headed guys losing their minds and screwing things up in this movie. But how the movie explores religion and puts Christianity in conversation with other religions/spiritualities is pretty incredible. The address where Alex parked the RV was his old house. I got the dvd from my local library by chance and watched it and before I did I checked, it got 8.1 score. It just points at a larger abandonment issue Alex has. But to stop him, the priest ties Hollys husband up and leaves him to die. That says a lot about his mental state, the degree of Stockholm Syndrome hes experiencing. But then he remembers he had been at Holly Joness house and puts 2 and 2 together. As mentioned before, we have a character named Grace. I am very much amazed with the way you see things about the movie and the way you tell them.Just wanted to say thank you. Psychological imprisonment: Alex and Bob Taylor both suffer from the trauma of their kidnapping. Hundreds of Oklahoma inmates left prison Monday before their original sentences were over. Bob Taylor survived his abduction but cant move beyond the trauma of it. He was the 28-year-old from Woodstock charged with Tori Stafford's abduction, rape and murder. I thoroughly enjoyed it and now need to watch this movie again. Its a German version of cellar. Meaning basement, store room. Keller had been at the house. I watched prisoners after its release and i was young so it felt just like another movie. Especially on re-watches. By that, I mean Alex has headed towards introversion. Crimes Was that really Keller or was that someone else, and was she confused because of all the drugs she used bc of Holy. Bob somehow escaped, but the memories kept him from telling the police. Goals It had happened in broad daylight, in the Junction Triangle neighborhood in west Toronto, and detectives would find out later there were witnesses. Does Loki discover Keller in the hole or not? And now he kind of re-creates this moment. And I also found this thread by Chris by chance. Because of that, theyve tortured other families to cause a similar crisis of faith and turn more people against God. Its less than a week? I could see that. This technique is more common in artsy projects than it is mainstream ones. In this film, no character will ever be the same. Suspect Arrested in Holly Jones Murder. I thought that was a major clue about the protagonist Keller Dover but at the end of the movie it seems to be a complete coincidence. Bob Taylors house has mazes drawn on the walls. The body is beyond recognition, but there is a necklace of a maze. As a forensic psychologist I also question the alleged motives of some of Alexs and Taylors actions. We then get the final showdown that involves Kellers imprisonment and Lokis heroics. Barely talking. Not saying it isnt annoying. The film stars Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Terrence Howard, Maria Bello, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano. What if deep down he DOES want her to go to jail! But his instinct, thoroughness, and curiosity get the better of him. So hes doing what he should do and giving her a chance to surrender. Hi Chris Theyre prisoners, right? Especially Joys mother. We know hes still traumatized by what happened but not that hes necessarily still in contact with Holly or does Hollys bidding. A forensic inspection of the cloths however, reveals that the blood belonged to a pig, and then Joy suddenly wakes up. Really insightful. He is not the all-knowing, all powerful saviour. But the important thing is that once youre aware of this motif, you can re-watch the movie and appreciate what it adds to the overall experience of Prisoners and the meaning you derive from it. The central story of Prisoners revolves around the investigation of two missing girls, Anna and Joy, led by Detective Loki. Hi, Chirs. Loki goes to the Jones's house to tell her that her nephew has been found. The screenwriter, Aaron Guzikowski, did an interview with Buzzfeed and just straight up said: Oddly enough, thats how it was in the script when it was bought. Holly Road 704-461-6200 704-461-6236 . And the imprisoned Alex Jones eventually tells his captor that the girls are, In the maze.. I have kids and if they were ever kidnapped I would pick them being killed than for them to do what Alex did. Replace the fridge with the old car. Nothing more than chilling fragments. Holly secretly pulls out a pistol and begins shooting at Loki, who panics and manages to move our the way. Makes people lose their faith.. Holly and her husband lost a child and in their grief, shock, and anger, they navigated their way to blaming God just as Keller navigates his way to blaming Loki. Which really is a question for us. Ok, thanks for the response. But it does seem like its probably one of those oversights they hope we dont focus on too much haha. Within hours of her disappearance, police launch a massive search and issue an "Amber Alert," a. Not everything is clever or meaningful. Holly Jones disappeared from her west-end Toronto neighbourhood in 2003, raped and murdered by Michael Briere. One is thematic, the other iswellfor lack of a better word, pretentious. How David is very Christian/Jewish/Biblical while Loki is very Norse. Which can work for some, but not for everyone. That way people without a doubt understood the point was for the album to have a happy ending one way and a tragic ending the other way. Compare this to other crime thrillers like Silence of the Lambs or Seven or Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Other than that, enjoy Villains Wiki!!! -Prisons (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual)-Mazes-Religion. And how could he know where the girls lived in the first place? Youre absolutely right. Is arrested as the prime suspect. I wonder if perhaps he was strangled by a snake for a time, causing a lack of oxygen in his brain, which could also add to the severe mental damage he displays. So the next best thing was to imprison him? It was on screen so briefly, and Netflixs Pause function obliterates whatever Im trying to read, so I didnt bother. 303 East Church Street Post Office Box 69 919-894-3616 919-894-2091 . But IMO the explanations for Taylors weird actions do not hold together upon close scrutiny. Among 747 males the risk of being a perpetrator was positively correlated with reported sexual abuse victim experiences. etc. Technical Specs, See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro, director of photography (as Roger A. Deakins), key hairstylist (as Elizabeth 'Shawna' Robinson), make-up: Hugh Jackman (as Pamela Westmore), second second assistant director (as Michael E. Saunders), first assistant director (as Donald L. Sparks), construction medic (as Cindy Huggins R.N. I imagine this is part of the routine for her prisoners that keeps them in a lethargic state in their imprisonment. They move the car. The current owners would would have been creeped out. How? Powers / Skills I think thats where I would start if I was going to write about the specific meaning of the snakes. Take revenge on God for killing her son by kidnapping other people's children (partially succeeded).Kill Loki and any other interfering witnesses (failed). In-roads arent always necessary, as many artists will use more obvious devices. The girls never mention a second man either. Almost a hundred years later, it can be pretty seamless. Then you will see that what Im saying is absolutely true. Anyway just brilliant write up. He responds by shooting her in the head, killing the kidnapper for good. So yes, the maze stuff in Prisoners is part of the basic plot. one question. Mark just pointed that out in another comment! These are all clues Loki missed or were not brought up to him. OF COURSE! I must reiterate how spectacular this review was. But before we see him decide to investigate or leavethe movie ends. So he definitely has a cruel streak. But its done in this subtly disorienting way to make you have a sense of, Waitwho was that guy and then hopefully figure it out and have an ah-ha! To talk about Prisoners, it helps if we un-maze the story by laying out its key events in chronological order. Even with her husband gone, Holly doesn't stop and abducts Joy Birch and Anna Dover. To 247 Sports in 2016, Jones said, "I speak Chinese. Yeah, I think I need to amend it a bit to add the consideration that part of Alex enjoys hurting Keller. I thought it was. POOPER: Holly Jones (Melissa Leo) kidnapped the two little girls. Holly was once a genuinely loving and caring woman. The main villain is in a war against the Christian God, while the hero is named after a god of Norse mythology. Which would therefore create a maze of the mind and memories. I also think it is highly unlikely that Taylor managed to break into both houses and steal the items without being noticed at all. Him being so a-type with all that stuff means he has his daughter carry that whistle, and its the whistle that he uses at the end to signal Loki. Keller doesnt get the answer he seeks from all the torture HE did, but by Joys miraculous escape and him making the connection that she saw him at some point. Which is, all in all, pretty fitting. Thank you my good people and a wonderful site for films discussion. Brilliant analysis. She was there less than a week. In the hospital, Joy says to Keller, You were there, which Keller realizes means Hollys house and that Holly wasnt an innocent old lady. We see from your examples (Alex telling Keller his girls cried after being interrogated, and his torture of the dog) that the abuse he has suffered has caused him to become capable of abuse himself. What was up with the nervous twitch? I also dont think the weapon was visible. Another thing is the significance of showing the prepper mindset and taking everything in his own hand and his general lack of trust in higher authorities including police and perhaps even more broadly God, and how that changed when he was in the most helpless situation in what he prepared nothing for, and yet found that red whistle which will save his life. If you have more questions, check out the rest of our movie guide for Prisoners. Or, if it was still his parents, quite surprised! Hi Chris,what a great review. Meaning its on the viewer to actively complete the few missing pieces of the puzzle. Barry was kept by Holly, where she renamed him Alex and told him she was his aunt. Possible, but as a main oremise it seems a bit thin. it may work, but I think theyre mainly just fooling themsves. Derrick Chambers, Superintendent. But the more you dig into Prisoners it eventually becomes clear as day that the entire movie is this layered exploration of various types of prisons: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Instead, it purposefully scatters important details throughout the story, without chronological context, meaning its easy to forget them or not connect them the way we should connect them. I didnt find any particularly bad the way you did. I have a question about the scene where Joy said: that Keller was there too. Welcome to the colossal explanation of Prisoners. The rest are just kind ofdoing their part? How do you create a plot with supposed depth and cleverness and use so many ridiculous elements? Prisoners, like Inception, ends on a cliffhanger. Then, they became serial child murderers intent to "wage a war with God" by turning the parents of their victims into grief-stricken demons. On Friday, Briere was charged with abducting, murdering and dismembering 10-year-old Holly Jones (shown), some of whose body parts were found May 13 in two pieces of luggage in water in two . The other Birch. But on the way back they saw the van and decided to play on it since their older siblings werent there to tell them no. Motifs are repeating elements in a movie, which can be anything, from physical objects, to dialogue, to shots, to music, to concepts. Other people feel nervous in the silence and start saying stuff just to fill it. That would have cinched the mystery early on. Were left with the question of, Does Loki save Keller or not? Maybe the most impressive thing to me about Prisoners is that almost everything that happens in the movie is a clue for Loki. I could see something like him initially being reunited but then the DA drawing up charges later. Thats an interesting point about the zodiac signs! I cant remember how much time passes in the movie. I guess the priest didnt report because it was a confession and he felt unable to tell authorities about it? I find this often ruins performances for me; in this case, not awful, just distracting; and despite all of the cursing and yelling and punching, I just didnt buy it. Is it half full or half empty? I think theres maybe also more to be found in how Keller is a doomsday prepper and the way that relates to the idea of judgement day, but I havent watched the movie with that in mind yet. I watched it a few years later and now 2021, the movie was on my Netflix suggestions pool, I was half in for watching it and I didnt.. woke up today and first thing was to figure out the story. She has no problem with killing or torturing, even children as per her M.O., and seems to embrace this side of her. Debord and Van Christopher Havis were arrested in . We know its coming from Keller Dover, trapped underground. And Id imagine Holly would have said something about Bob, just to telegraph it to the viewer, if this was actually what happened. ), assistant property master (as Beth Morris), art department production assistant (as Steven 'Denver' Tolbert), art graphics (uncredited) / storyboard artist (uncredited), storyboard artist (uncredited) / visual consultant (uncredited), additional re-recording mixer (as Matthew Ladarola), additional production sound mixer (uncredited), adr recording engineer (uncredited) / adr recordist (uncredited), special effects technician (as Edward S. Backus), special effects technician (as Nick Coleman), special effects technician (as Michael Dzenowagis), special effects foreman (as Jeffrey D. Knott), special effects technician (as Randy Moore), 2d supervisor: Luma Pictures (as Alexandre Cancado), model artist: Luma Pictures / texture artist: Luma Pictures, paint artist: Luma Pictures / roto artist: Luma Pictures, matchmove artist: Luma Pictures / tracking artist: Luma Pictures, visual efffects supervisor: Pacific Title & Art Studio (as Phil Feiner), compositor: Luma Pictures (as Tim Fleur) / lighter: Luma Pictures (as Tim Fleur), compositor: Luma Pictures / lighter: Luma Pictures, lead paint: Luma Pictures (as Jessica Bakke) / lead roto: Luma Pictures (as Jessica Bakke), visual effects producer: Pacific Title & Art Studio (as Darin Millett), jr. compositor: Luma Pictures (as Chris Miller), paint supervisor: Luma Pictures / roto supervisor: Luma Pictures, paint artist: Luma Pictures (as Prin Nimminnitya) / roto artist: Luma Pictures (as Prin Nimminnitya), digital production manager: Luma Pictures, animator: Luma Pictures (as Marcos D. Romero), lead compositor: Pacific Title & Art Studio, concept artist: Luma Pictures (as Loc 'E338' Zimmermann), visual effects head of production: BOT VFX (uncredited), digital compositor: Luma Pictures (uncredited), model artist: Luma Pictures (uncredited) / texture artist: Luma Pictures (uncredited), director of business relations: Luma Pictures (uncredited), pipeline technical director: Luma Pictures (uncredited), business relations associate: Luma Pictures (uncredited), vfx executive producer: BOT VFX (uncredited) / visual effects producer: BOT VFX (uncredited), digital artist: Luma Pictures (uncredited), visual effects coordinator: Luma Pictures (uncredited), production and technical support: BOT VFX (uncredited), roto/prep supervisor: BOT VFX (uncredited), matte painter: Luma Pictures (uncredited), character technical director supervisor: Luma Pictures (uncredited), stunt double: Bob Taylor (as Eric La Rocca Mainade), edge head technician (as Darrick C. Akey), operator: Edge crane (as Michael Barnett), camera operator: "a" camera (as Roger A. Deakins), operator: Libra head (as Michael Henry Howell), operator: Libra head (as Kenny J. Rivenbark), director of photography: Flying Cam (uncredited), digital intermediate assistant producer (as Lesley Nicolucci), digital intermediate assistant producer (uncredited), location construction medic (as Joshua Dinsmore), location construction medic (as Samuel L. Gable), assistant location manager (as David R. Latham), musician: cristal baschet / musician: ondes martenot, musician: electronics / musician: guitar / musician: percussion / musician: pipe organ, musician: cello / musician: double bass / musician: electronics / musician: guitar, picture car coordinator (as Stephen E. Austin), driver: Jake Gyllenhaal (as Sean E. Marshall), assistant: Mr. Johnson / assistant: Mr. Kosove, first assistant chef: Mario's Catering (as Manuel De La Torre), general counsel: head of business affairs, detective consultant (as Jaime Fitzsimons) / police consultant (as Jaime Fitzsimons), set production assistant (as Jacob Garrison), senior vice president: legal & business affairs (as Jeannette Hill-Yonis), production office coordinator (as Heath M. Howard), set production assistant (as Jason Scott), production controller (as Michael 'Scotty' Scott), production legal provider (as Eric Spiegelman), chef assistant: Mario's Catering (as Jose Trujillo), assistant: Ms. Davis (as Jessica A. Watson), additional production assistant (uncredited), special consultant: end credits (uncredited), set production assistant: second unit (uncredited), completion bond representative (uncredited), forensic technical consultant (uncredited), basecamp production assistant: second unit (uncredited) / production assistant (uncredited), global director of motion picture logistics: Altour Travel (uncredited), production assistant: drone unit (uncredited), additional set production assistant (uncredited), production finance controller (uncredited). Alex is perfectly able to taunt with a cryptic, They didnt start crying till I left. He can drive, he can play with the girls, learn and sing their song, has the wherewithal to take them back to be tortured and killed, but is too traumatized by his past to say anything else?