Jake Gyllenhaal is a bit of a mystery. From playing a boy in a bubble in “Bubble Boy” to a disturbed teenager in “Donnie Darko,” from an action hero in “Prince of Persia” to a cowboy in love with another cowboy in “Brokeback Mountain,” he chooses roles that make it hard to pin him down as an actor. So it’s no wonder he was drawn to the enigmatic Detective Loki in director Denis Villeneuve’s harrowing “Prisoners,” which had its Canadian premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

When Moviefone sat down with Gyllenhaal in Toronto to talk tats and twitches, the actor refused to divulge too much of his character’s past, but he did reveal some bromantic feelings for Villeneuve, the scenes in “Prisoners” that “wrecked” him for days, and the blockbuster franchise he’s dying to be a part of.

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In an alternate universe, Jake Gyllenhaal just finished filming “Prince of Persia 4.” This alternate universe isn’t too complex to imagine, because if Jerry Bruckheimer’s plan had worked, the “Prince of Persia” movies would have been a franchise the size of “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Of course, “Prince of Persia” wasn’t a hit and, instead, Jake Gyllenhaal is making some of the most absorbing movies of his career.

Two of these absorbing movies — “Prisoners” and “Enemy,” both playing at the Toronto International Film Festival — are with director Denis Villeneuve. When I mentioned the possibility that these movies don’t get made — at least with Gyllenhaal — if “Persia” had been a success, Gyllenhaal smiled and, as diplomatically as possible, made it clear he’s happy that things worked out the way that they did.

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Two striking films are hitting the fall film festival circuit in a matter of days: “Prisoners,” an emotionally bruising crime thriller about family, loss and sin, and “Enemy,” an adaptation of José Saramago’s novel, “The Double,” which is an enigmatic psychological drama about identity, the subconscious and the male ego. The connection? Other than both films’ dark, disturbing tone, they represent the work of two collaborators—French Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve and actor Jake Gyllenhaal—who, as occasionally happens with director/actor pairings, seem to have unlocked something exceptional while in each other’s company.

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Things got off to a solid start on Thursday at the Toronto International Film Festival, with press for Prisoners. The film earned staggeringly positive reviews in Variety and the Hollywood Reporter when it screened at the Telluride film festival.

It’s a haunting, violent and brutal film about the destruction of a family when a young daughter goes missing. Hugh Jackman is the tormented dad, and Jake Gyllenhaal the tic-laden cop tasked with figuring out what happened to her. It opens Sept. 20 and co-stars Maria Bello as Jackman’s wife, Paul Dano was a weird potential suspect, and Terrence Howard and Viola Davis as the couple next door whose daughter also disappears.

Have either paid attention to the sudden Oscar buzz?

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Last night Jake stopped by The Late Show with David Letterman to discuss his upcoming film, ‘Prisoners’. Follow the links below to watch the interview and / or download the video in the media section. Enjoy!