Sundance 08 : The Escapist Review by CJ Simonson

Since the 80’s we’ve had many a prison break out/in movies. Shawshanke Redemption, Escape from Alcatraz, The Count of Monte Crisco, the Rock, etc. Earlier in the week I saw The Escapist, a new kind of heist movie. This one is able to recreate the magic of some of those other films but obviously with its own twist.



The Escapist plays out in two parallel storylines, one being the escape and the other being the planning for the escape happen side by side. The movie is able to keep our attention for both stories which is somewhat amazing. The idea that the planning of the escape is just as, if not more, riveting than the actual escape is odd yet somehow true. Brian Cox stars as the planner of the heist. How everything folds out is exciting to watch and the ending feels satisfyingly mind bending.

The Escapist is an extremely clever movie that will hopefully be successful in a wide release. The crew that executes the plan has the usual cast of characters (the kid, the demolitions guy, the badass, the handyman, etc yet that doesn’t stop the movie from being a great rollercoaster of excitement. Grade - A