As a taut family thriller, No Escape bears a passing resemblance to 2012's The Impossible, about a tourist family caught in the destruction of a tsunami. But in the latest film from director/co-writer John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine, Devil), the destruction is purely man-made, as an American family find themselves in the middle of a violent political uprising and must seek asylum in a city where foreigners are being executed on sight. While both films are intense, emotional and harrowing, neither are quite able to capture the true impact of complete cultural ruination.
However, unlike The Impossible, No Escape cleverly sidesteps any mention of exact events or locations, which gives it a little more creative freedom -- although the implication here is that it takes place somewhere in Cambodia. (The film itself was shot in Thailand.) Anyway, the geography is not important. What is important is the story, which follows engineer Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson), his wife Annie (Lake Bell) and their little girls Lucy (Sterling Jerins) and Beeze (Claire Geare). Originally from Austin, Texas, Jack has been sent by his company to Southeast Asia to work on a project that will bring clean drinking water to the country. But the morning after the Dwyers arrive, Jack literally gets caught in the crossfire of a bloody insurrection and has to protect his family long enough to find safety.
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However, unlike The Impossible, No Escape cleverly sidesteps any mention of exact events or locations, which gives it a little more creative freedom -- although the implication here is that it takes place somewhere in Cambodia. (The film itself was shot in Thailand.) Anyway, the geography is not important. What is important is the story, which follows engineer Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson), his wife Annie (Lake Bell) and their little girls Lucy (Sterling Jerins) and Beeze (Claire Geare). Originally from Austin, Texas, Jack has been sent by his company to Southeast Asia to work on a project that will bring clean drinking water to the country. But the morning after the Dwyers arrive, Jack literally gets caught in the crossfire of a bloody insurrection and has to protect his family long enough to find safety.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...