So I Don't Have To

In a new feature, we present capsule reviews from correspondents who go see the movies that we don't have an interest in seeing.  Today, veteran filmgoer Phillip Blanchard chimes in on "Prisoners," which stars Hugh Jackman.

In the New York Times, A.O. Scott wrote: 

It’s all very creepy and mysterious, and “Prisoners” is, among other things, a satisfying whodunit, with artfully deposited clues and twists that are surprising without entirely undermining the film’s naturalistic credibility.

"Prisoners"  is creepy, but not very mysterious. In one kind of whodunit, clues are "deposited" but the solution is contrary to the clues. That's a cheat. In another, the culprit's identity is so obvious early on that you have to look elsewhere for a challenge. "Prisoners" is the latter kind. You know so early on who did "it" that you hope for a cheat to prove yourself wrong. No cheat follows. With the solution made clear in the first 15 minutes or so, there is no satisfaction in having figured it out.

GRADE: B