The Escapist

2008, Drama, 1h 43m

45 Reviews 10,000+ Ratings

What to know

critics consensus

A tense, smart prison break movie, The Escapist is a sharp debut from director Rupert Wyatt. Read critic reviews

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The Escapist Photos

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Movie Info

Fourteen years into a life sentence, convict Frank Perry (Brian Cox) plans to escape from prison after learning his daughter nearly overdosed from heroin. With the help of fellow prisoners, Frank begins digging tunnels that will lead to the outside world. As Frank and his friends dig, he fends off Rizza (Damian Lewis), a fearsome gangster who runs the inside of the prison, and his brother, Tony (Steven Mackintosh), a junkie with designs on Frank's cellmate, Lacey (Dominic Cooper).

Cast & Crew

Brian Cox
Frank
Joseph Fiennes
Lenny
Liam Cunningham
Brodie
Seu Jorge
Viv Batista
Dominic Cooper
Lacey
Steven Mackintosh
Tony
Damian Lewis
Rizza
Rupert Wyatt
Director
Rupert Wyatt
Screenwriter
Daniel Hardy
Screenwriter
Brian Cox
Executive Producer
Tristan Whalley
Executive Producer
Adrian Sturges
Producer
Alan Moloney
Producer
Philipp Blaubach
Cinematography
Jim Furlong
Production Design
Joe Walker
Film Editing
Benjamin Wallfisch
Original Music
Maeve Paterson
Costume Design
Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for The Escapist

All Critics (45) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (29) | Rotten (16)
Full Review… Joshua Rothkopf Time Out Full Review… David Stratton At the Movies (Australia) Full Review… Paul Byrnes Sydney Morning Herald Full Review… Ben Mankiewicz At the Movies Full Review… Ben Lyons At the Movies Full Review… Joe Neumaier New York Daily News Full Review… David Harris Spectrum Culture Full Review… Kaleem Aftab The National (UAE) Full Review… Don Groves sbs.com.au Full Review… Drew McWeeny HitFix Full Review… Julie Rigg MovieTime, ABC Radio National Full Review… Simon Weaving Screenwize
View All Critic Reviews (45)

Audience Reviews for The Escapist

  • Oct 29, 2014
    For those who have seen more than two or three prison break movies in their lives, this mediocre film won't offer anything new even if it believes to be doing something pretty smart and profound with an annoying flashback structure and a silly Ambrose Bierce twist in the end.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
  • Nov 30, 2012
    Set in a British prison, filled with all the usual convict suspects (including Damien Lewis and Steven Mackintosh woefully miscast as sadistic underlords!), this is unusual primarily for Brian Cox being the lead (which he fills capably), the setting, and the twist at the end (borrowed from a famous Ambrose Bierce tale). Nothing unusual then, but well done for the main part.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
  • Jul 04, 2012
    really well made prison escape movie full of interesting characters. Brian Cox is the driving force behind the film and offers a performance that is criminally underrated. great direction if only a few to many unnecessary flashbacks. Wyatt is a filmmaker to watch for the future.
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
  • May 07, 2012
    A very well executed, original, and ambitious prison drama, full of great performances all around, especially from the criminally underrated Brian Cox. The prison atmosphere is captured well, dark, gritty, and depressing; the film did a great job conveying a sense of realism. The filmmakers do perhaps become too self indulgent at the end, but the middle 2/3 are so strong, that the ending is more of an interesting misfire than something that really takes away, significantly, from the film. Above all, it's tense throughout, smart, and done well. 4/5 Stars
    Jeffrey M Super Reviewer
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