Prisoners Ending Explained

The 2013 thriller "Prisoners" is about the kidnapping of two young children, the detective's desperate effort to recover them, and a father's descent down the rabbit hole as he uses more severe tactics to coerce the information out of the person he believes to be guilty. The movie differs from others of its kind by providing top-notch thrills and tension, as well as by emphasising topic and presenting a more complex moral conundrum than the thriller genre frequently does.

It's hardly surprising that 'Prisoners' appeared on numerous best-of-the-year lists and made it into the top 250 highest-rated films on IMDb thanks to strong performances, a strong storyline, outstanding photography, and a director at the top of his game.

All of these honours are even more remarkable given that "Prisoners" was the French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve's first major studio production; he had previously directed indie classics like "Polytechnique" and "Incendies" and would later take the helm of even larger productions like "Sicario" and "Dune." Given that "Prisoners" turns 10 this year, now is the ideal moment to review the story of this intricate criminal thriller and figure out how it came to be.

Alex Jones Involvement:

As Alex, who is frequently regarded as one of Paul Dano's finest performances and films, is Holly's own kidnapping victim and is portrayed as her adopted son, he was there in the home when Anna and Joy were abducted. Prior to this, Alex took the girls on a joyride in his RV using what appeared to be benign methods because of his 10-year-old mental state, and Holly only took the children after Alex returned to his home. Because of this, Alex tells Keller the phrase the latter mistakenly believes establishes his guilt. In actuality, Alex was also a victim, and because of his trauma and mental impairments, he found himself at odds with a distraught father.

Holly Jones reason behind kidnapping:

It is made clear throughout the movie that Holly and her husband adopted Alex Jones, who is portrayed by Paul Dano of current The Batman fame, after losing their own kid to cancer. Alex is shown as being mentally challenged and having an IQ of 10 throughout the whole movie. As Keller discovers Holly's misdeeds, she explains to him why she thinks this impairment stems from the trauma of her own kidnapping of him. Keller learns from Holly that she and her husband started snatching children from Christian homes in order to cause those families to have a similar crisis of faith as they did when God let their son to die from illness. Holly and her husband did this in retaliation against God.

Significance of Priest's murder:

It is made clear throughout the movie that Holly and her husband adopted Alex Jones, who is portrayed by Paul Dano of current The Batman fame, after losing their own kid to cancer. Alex is shown as being mentally challenged and having an IQ of 10 throughout the whole movie. As Keller discovers Holly's misdeeds, she explains to him why she thinks this impairment stems from the trauma of her own kidnapping of him. Keller learns from Holly that she and her husband started snatching children from Christian homes in order to cause those families to have a similar crisis of faith as they did when God let their son to die from illness. Holly and her husband did this in retaliation against God.

Bob Taylor's implication:

Bob Taylor is one of Holly's other abducted individuals. Taylor is portrayed in the movie as yet another red herring who breaks into the Dovers' home, is discovered with Anna and Joy's bloody garments on, confesses to the kidnappings, and then kills himself. Taylor was a prior victim of the Joneses who really fled, and Holly forgot about him until he emerged in the news, it is revealed in the moment where the sci-fi movie maestro Denis Villeneuve discloses that Holly was responsible for the kidnapping. Taylor started acting out memories of his own kidnapped by Holly and her husband after experiencing trauma comparable to Alex's.

Is Dover saved by Loki?

More than half of Prisoners' secrets are resolved, but the movie's conclusion is left unresolved. This is mostly accomplished through Keller Dover's destiny, which carries on the movie's representation of actual terror events. After Loki saves Anna from Holly at the movie's conclusion, Keller is stranded for days in the hole beneath the Jones family' pick-up truck. In the very final shot of the movie, Loki is seen standing dejected in front of Holly's home and can just make out Keller's faint whistle coming from the mine. Before the picture goes dark, Loki dismisses the sound before hearing it again and evidently heading to investigate.

Although the spectator must decide if Loki rescues Dover, a different conclusion to the movie, filmed by Denis Villeneuve, may shed some light. In case the studio would not like his more ambiguous conclusion, Villeneuve actually shot a sequence in which Loki does save Dover. This potential ending suggests that the filmmaker himself envisaged Loki rescue Keller in some form, even though he ultimately preferred to leave it unclear, even if the final cut was left open-ended.

Dover's Fate:

What Dover's destiny would have been in Prisoners, depending on whether Loki saved him or not, is one of the unanswered riddles. Dover will probably perish in the pit if Loki does not help him. Dover shattered his leg after being shot in the leg by Holly and fell into the pit. It would be challenging to survive these wounds, especially in the chilly, unhygienic conditions of the pit. Dover's attempt to be spared by blowing the whistle is perhaps his final one. Similar to how it is possible that Loki is detained for the earlier in the movie kidnapping and torture of Alex, assuming he does save Keller.

Real meaning of Prisoners' ending:

The last sequence and overall revelations of Prisoners weave together the themes that director Denis Villeneuve planned for the film. The title of the movie, which has been a source of controversy frequently, is one of these topics. The two main characters of the movie, Loki and Keller, are left dealing with the effects of being captives in the last scene. By surrendering his humanity to locate his daughter, Dover became a prisoner of his own sadness, and this decision ultimately leads him to the pit at the movie's conclusion. Due to his preoccupation with discovering the girls, Loki also becomes a prisoner to the case. However, he manages to escape by rescuing Anna.

Religion and faith are also another theme of  the movie. Christian households are the ones whose daughters vanish, which connects Holly, her husband Patrick Dunn, and God. It is possible to think of Holly and Mr. Jones as the movie's "devil," fighting against God. It is possible to interpret Loki, a figure with several tattoos of religious symbols, as God's "angel" who vanquishes the devil. Dover fits into these theological themes as a disciple of God who loses faith and gives up his humanity by kidnapping and torturing Alex. When Dover prays to God at the movie's conclusion, Loki may act as the angel who saves him, liberating both of the prisons that give Prisoners their name.