Review of No Escape (2015) by Brett H — 05 Sep 2015

Intense, brutal, and extremely well-acted, No Escape is the first non-horror film for director/writers, the Dowdle brothers, and they pull off what is one of the best white-knuckle thrillers I've seen in quite some time.

The cast is excellent with Pierce Brosnan stealing every scene he's in and Lake Bell showing some impressive dramatic range, but the biggest surprise is that they cast the normally comedic, Owen Wilson in such a serious role, and he impressed me most.

Wilson has done another action-fueled movie in the past, Behind Enemy Lines, and while it's been a very long time since then, he can still pull it off authentically. The movie is pure adrenaline once the conflict kicks in and one thing I applaud the film for is the unflinching violence that hits hard and effectively; there's no sugar-coating here.

Some have found the film racist and morally repugnant, but I honestly don't see why everyone is making such a big deal, there needs to be an antagonist, and this undisclosed Asian city in or around Laos took the hit this time.

The film exaggerates their presence to make them feel more like monsters; but we need a relatable enemy or we can't put ourselves in the characters' shoes and it gives a credible reason for why they are so pissed off at Americans.

My only flaws with the film are the ending being squeaky-clean and tied up and one RIDICULOUS scene with Wilson chucking his children across a rooftop that was unintentionally hilarious due to excessive slow-mo.

Otherwise this is a heart-stopping and perilous survivor story that was made by Hollywood and its sole purpose was to entertain, not make a political statement.