10 Best Roger Deakins Movies

Prisoners marks the beginning of a beautiful relationship between Deakins and director Denis Villeneueve.

The story of a detective (Jake Gyllenhaal) searching for two missing girls, while one of their fathers (Hugh Jackman) takes matters into his own hands, was already compelling enough, with the two lead actors giving some of their best onscreen performances.

But it is what Deakins does behind the camera, that elevates prisoners above your typical run-of-the-mill thriller. The use of over the shoulder shots and a lack of quick cuts, immerses the audience into the movie, as if we are watching real people, adding to the tension.

The lack of spectacle is perhaps why it lost to Gravity so many times during awards season but in terms of doing a lot with little, Deakins deserves all the plaudits.