The final sequence ofPrisonershas one of the boldest endings among Denis Villeneuve’s impressive body of work, and its conclusion is crucial to the payoff of the film’s gritty and intricate narrative. The detective-thriller follows Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) on the search for two girls after they disappear from a Thanksgiving dinner.Prisonerstakes an incredibly dark turn when Keller takes charge of the situation, torturing the suspected kidnapper, Alex Jones (Paul Dano) ahead of the film’s exceptional climax.
Prisoners’cryptic endingintentionally leaves the film open, butthe uncertain outcome of Keller’s fate was not the only versionconsidered.It’s important to note that Villeneuve originally filmed two different endings forPrisonersbefore he settled on the ambiguous conclusion. The story highlights the painstaking lengths people will go to for their loved ones and does not shy away from delving into the intense psychological trauma of its characters. These dark themes, and the pushing nature of the leads, prove indefinitely that thePrisoners' alternate endingwas not right for the film. Instead, theconclusivefinale reinstates the dark message ofPrisoners.
Prisoners' Open Ending Was A Bold Way To Wrap Up The Movie
Keller Dover’s Fate Remains Unknown
Perhaps the most impressive aspect ofPrisonersis how every moment in the two-and-a-half-hour runtime is crucial to the journey of its central characters. Villeneuve expertly makes use of every interaction to ensure he answers all the forthcoming mysteries, meaning that leaving Keller’s fate open was an extremely bold way to wrap up the final moments ofPrisoners. After discovering Holly (Melissa Leo) is the kidnapper,Keller confronts her before she injures his leg and immediately forces him into an underground pit.The final scene sees Detective Loki scouting the property and hearing Keller’s distinctive whistle beforePrisonersabruptly cuts to the credits.
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It must be said that the audience becomes easily embroiled in the mystery of Anna and her friend’s disappearance on account of Villeneuve’s superbly detailed visual style and dark method of storytelling. Therefore, ending the movie with suchan uncertain outcome for its main protagonists could quite easily run the risk of exasperatingPrisoners' audience. Screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski spoke out (viaBuzzfeed) in a testament to how bold the script was, saying, “I was very surprised that we were allowed to keep that ending. I was surprised I was able to get the movie made, actually. It’s a pretty dark script. Especially ending the way it does.”
A More Traditional Ending Would Have Hurt Villeneuve’s Prisoners
A Well-Rounded Ending Would Have Destroyed Denis Villeneuve’s Vision
Prisonersthrives with an incredibly vague ending because of its main ‘show, don’t tell’ concept undertaken throughout the majority of the film, meaninga definitive ending would’ve undermined many of the themes thatPrisonersworked so hard to establish. There are many twists and turns throughoutPrisonersas it explores multiple difficulties and many heavy subject matters. Loki finding Keller at the end would have been a conclusively happy ending to the story and ultimately would’ve felt a lot more out of place amid the acts of moral turpitude.
In the version that has a more traditional ending, Detective Loki locates Keller’s whereabouts in the underground bunker.
Guzikowski thatPrisoners' alternate ending was recorded primarily to appease studio executives, should they have rejected the original vision ofDenis Villeneuve’s movie. In the version that has a more traditional ending, Detective Loki locates Keller’s whereabouts in the underground bunker. However, all creative parties involved inPrisonersagreed that the darker ending better served the movie, and the film was much better for it.
