'Prisoners' holds captives

There’s a moment early on in “Prisoners” that will break you.

Grace Dover, the mother of a missing child, weeps in bed. She howls. She screams.

The scene will crush you, not only because Grace is played by the incomparable Maria Bello, but also because the film looks right in the face of an impossible tragedy and dares to hold an unbroken gaze.

“Prisoners” asks how far someone is willing to go when they aren’t satisfied with the powers that are.

So, when Keller Dover’s daughter and her friend go missing on Thanksgiving Day, Keller’s hunt for the truth begins.

A young cop named Loki, all twitches and tattoos from the underrated Jake Gyllenhaal, apprehends a likely suspect, but he’s bound by the hand of the law and forced to release the suspect for lack of evidence.

Suffice to say, Keller doesn’t stand for this.

Hugh Jackman brings a monumental fortitude to Keller, a role that could have been all brawn and no brains. He’s terrifying in scenes, but never nonhuman.

That isn’t to say he doesn’t dance on the edge of inhumane when he kidnaps and tortures the man he believes responsible for his daughter’s mysterious disappearance.

At its core, “Prisoners” is an ensemble drama in every traditional sense. Each actor is given a few key moments to shine, always leaving you wanting more than the script allowed.

This isn’t a shortcoming. The film spreads a web of each individual impacted by the loss of a child, coming up with numerous roads to assorted reactions and responses.

But the film never drops into melodrama. It remains devoid of hope, beating you with one sucker punch after another until you clench your gut in anguish and wonder if a happy ending is possible.

While the cast of characters is diverse, “Prisoners” becomes Keller’s film. Blind to morality, he rockets into the unknown without question.

It’s a fascinating journey that will leave you speechless, regardless of whether or not you believe his actions are justified.

Similar to last year’s “The Impossible,” this isn’t a film that will be easy for any parent to sit through.

It’s a harrowing story of lost souls and the people we become in times of personal catastrophe. So, block out a few hours after you leave the theater to decompress and process your emotions, because you’re going to need it.