There was a big of hesitancy going into No Escape for me. Way back when I saw the first trailer I knew I wanted to see it. The trailer itself was more tense and suspenseful then the entirety of Poltergeist and Insidious III combined. Then, for some reason, I never saw the trailer again. Instead it was replaced with a weaker trailer, half the length, and all tension removed. So, I did a little digging. I found out that the film was being helmed by the Dowdle brothers. That may mean nothing to you, but their filmography will. They've directed four films and don't exactly have the greatest track record. Their previous films are: Devil, Quarantine, and the absolutely reprehensible As Above, So Below. These aren't exactly game-changers and have essentially sullied the Dowdle brother names for me. So, needless to say, my hesitancy was warranted. What's pleasantly surprising here is that not only have they made their first solid movie, they've made their scariest film of their careers and it isn't even a horror film.
We are briefly introduced to Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson), his wife Annie (Lake Bell), and their two young daughters, Lucy and Beeze. Due to some financial troubles, Jack's company has sent him to an unmentioned Asian country (with some very short deduction one can discern it is Malaysia) for a new job at a water manufacturing plant. After their first night in the country, the Malaysian Prime Minister is killed by armed rebels who then roam the streets brutally murdering all foreigners. The family finds themselves caught in the middle of a violent rebellion where they are among the main targets of it. With the help of a British tourist named Hammond (Pierce Brosnan), they must figure out a way to get out of the country alive. This is where the film grabs hold of you and won't let go. There's a quick ten to fifteen minute introduction to the characters and situation, but once the rebellion begins the level of tenseness on screen and in your chest doesn't subside until the credits roll and you can finally catch your breath.
What the Dowdle brothers have been able to do is keep the film and the story moving forward without ever interrupting the suspense. Because of their background in horror, they're familiar with filming tense and suspenseful scenes that will literally keep you clutching your chest in panic. Though their previous horror films were failures (especially As Above, So Below... I can't express enough how much I hated that movie), they are still capable filmmakers that just needed the perfect vehicle to display their talents. And though the film is more of a B-movie, action/drama... it still plays out like a very well-paced and terrifying horror film. There is danger looming around every corner and there isn't this idea in the back of your mind that you know they will be safe. The writer/director siblings establish early on that no one is safe and there is no guarantee of a happy ending. By the end, you may find that your hands hurt from how hard you're unknowingly clutching the arms of your theater seat.
Let me put this out there-- critics are judgmental pricks. Judgmental, obviously... it's their job... but sometimes they forget to sit back and just have a good time. All films need characters the audience can care about and conflict. The biggest critiques that poor movies can receive is that the characters were flat or uneven or stereotypical or not fully fleshed out or anything... OR that the plot was thin, or uneven, or didn't make sense or anything. But, sometimes there doesn't need to be twenty minutes of backstory or character history. Sometimes the situation combined with great acting can say more about character than anything in written exposition. There has been a lot of hating on this film throughout the critic world, in fact the film currently holds a 40% on rottentomatoes... and most of this backlash is that the characters are one-dimensional and the film provides a real "uncomfortable retrograde worldview." And while I disagree with the latter comment, the critique of the characters being one-dimensional, I semi-agree with, but not in a negative way. These characters don't have to be fully fleshed out because they're there to represent the typical American family. They represent you. They could be anyone stuck in this situation with no way out and that's what illicit the most fear. They aren't these crazily complex characters with rich histories... they're middle class Americans struggling financially, looking for a way to keep the family going, stuck in the middle of something that they have no prior experience with, but no safe haven in sight. Any one of us could be caught in the middle of something like this. Our past experiences aren't just going to come out through dialogue during the middle of a violent rebellion, it's going to come out in the way we handle ourselves and try and figure out an escape.
Owen Wilson is a very good and capable actor to be able to portray not only the metaphor of the 'everyman' family dad and American, but as Jack Dwyer. It's nice to see Owen showing his acting chops again outside of Wes Anderson and the comedy genre. Lake Bell was surprisingly good as well (and to see another well-written female character that doesn't just run and scream). And, obviously, Pierce Brosnan is perfect as usual. His Bond films may have been dumb and goofy, but he is and has always been a very likable and watchable actor.
Though the film may have not much to say, culturally-speaking, it is still a very good movie. It's the reason action movies and horror movies are made... to keep you entertained and terrified throughout. It's the equivalent of being on a roller coaster at Six Flags for an hour and a half. It's never not going to be thrilling and you're probably going to feel a little ill afterwards (in a good way). Sadly, this is one of the few original scripts/movies released this year not based on a book, or a true story, or a graphic novel, or a sequel/prequel/reboot and because it's coming out at the end of August no one is going to see it. No one is going to make their way out to see it, it will probably fail box office wise and further convince Hollywood that original films are dead. However, I strongly encourage you to watch this film, not just to support creativity, but because it's a sickly good movie.
B+
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