Question about the plot to the movie Prisoners (2013).

I didn't understand a couple of parts of the movie and I was wondering if anyone could help. Why is it that at the end, when Keller was going to go over to Holly's house to rescue his daughter, why did he choose to carry his pistol in a bag, when going over to her house? He even puts the bag down and turns her back on her, allowing her to overpower him.

Why didn't he just pull out the gun and point it her, right when she opened the door to let him and then use the gun to take her captive in order to gain the upper hand?

Also, how come Alex Jones, was willing to go through so much torture, and not wanting to talk? Why was it worth all that terrible pain to him?

Haven’t seen this great movie in years but I believe the Alex Jones character was mentally unwell and acted strangely as a result.

Well they said that he had an IQ of a 10 year old in the movie, but I didn't think that being mentally challenged means you could with stand torture that Navy Seals have to train to stand, and all that.

You have to understand a couple things.


Alex wasn't actually Holly's child, nor was Taylor.
She and her husband abducted them both when they were babies.
This means Alex and Taylor were brought up in a deranged family, and were taught to never tell tales. This meant the adults in the family could do what they wanted, and never get caught.
This also meant that both Alex and Taylor grew up thinking that the behaviour they witnessed was normal. It was just how life is.
So, once older, they do the same things that their "parents" did. They have fascinations with children, clothing etc... even carrying out abductions and breaking into houses.


Alex thinking of himself as a good boy, he would keep his mouth shut at all times, regardless of the pain he was subjected to by Keller.




As for why Keller didn't pull the gun immediately, I think he was testing the ground.
On arrival, he acts nice... only when the truth is revealed does he realise how dangerous Holly is.


After all his preparation for the future. His borderline paranoia that causes him to plan for the worst, and stock dry foods and fuel in the basement... Keller actually overlooks the fact that this woman is extremely dangerous.
He knows she knows something... but he doesn't realise, or simply overlooks, the fact that she is actually the very reason why Alex is the way he is.


Yeah, in hindsight, of course he should have pulled the gun immediately and demanded to know where his daughter is... the very thing he prides himself on is preparing for every possible and dangerous outcome... but for the first time in his life he fails to plan ahead and see the future... and this oversight ultimately gets him into serious trouble.

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Well said rodent. Far more thorough and impressive then my answer lol.

Okay thanks. Well that's what I found to be so puzzling about Keller, is that he is prepared for everything else and assumes the worst, yet he lets his guard down for this. Plus he had strong reason to believe that his child was held in Holly's captivity. He didn't play nice with Alex, so why he is playing nice with her, when he thinks the child is likely being held here. It just seemed in consistent with his character. With such borderline paranoia, why would he overlook this, when he may have found where his child is?

But also, since Keller is on a ticking clock, why didn't he use more aggressive methods to torture Alex into talking? The extremely hot water didn't get him to talk, but I mean the clock is ticking . Why does he take the time to rig a system where only hot water comes out? I imagine that took a whole day, so why didn't just move on to aggressive methods that could have done sooner to try to get Alex to talk?

I mean coming up with the most interesting water torture contraption is just taking too much time, isn't it?

Smh

Well I guess the torture thing is still believable, but why did Keller overlook that fact that she was dangerous. He thinks that she kidnapped his child? So wouldn't you think she was dangerous therefore, if she's holding your child captive?