Review of No Escape (2015) by Maksim B — 05 Jan 2016

Straightforward, brutally violent, fast-paced and simply constructed, No Escape is a surprisingly thrilling and satisfying B-movie that successfully refers to some of the action-thriller classics of recent years. Without unnecessary sentimentalities or story complications, the movie is a wild ride into the hopeless darkness of a South-East Asian country.

Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson) is an ex-pat engineer who is sent to a South-East Asian country (resembling Cambodia or Laos) to lead a huge hydro-energy project. On the second day after his arrival he and his family find themselves in the middle of ruthless political and xenophobic uprising against the authorities and foreigners. Being one of the top targets for the rioters he has no other choice but to try saving his wife, two daughter and himself with the partial help of a British intelligence operative (Pierce Brosnan). What follows is a simple, but very effective and brutally violent cat and mouse game in which the depressing feeling of hopelessness for the Dwyers is successful engrossing the audience. The simple story, the excellent fast-pacing of events and the pleasantly surprising leading performance of Owen Wilson fully compensate for many factual inaccuracies (which would probably annoy those who have travelled to this part of the world) and for the lack of any character development. Yet, John Eric Dowdle's movie has obviously never been meant to focus on its characters or to explore their acting abilities.

It simply offers solid action, good thrills, bloody brutality and 101 minutes of passable B-action thriller entertainment. No Escape is definitely recommendable if you are searching for something which does not ask much involvement in the story and offers just a proper exotic action.