No Escape review

No Escape (2015)
Directed by John Erick Dowdle
Written by John Erick Dowdle & Drew Dowdle
Starring: Owen Wilson, Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan

There was no escape from talking about No Escape.

No Escape follows the Dwyer family as they move to some unnamed Asian country (most likely Cambodia) due to Jack's (Owen Wilson) job for an engineering company called Cardiff moving him. A coup occurs and the Asian rebels begin to murder the foreigners and people they see in line with the former government. The Dwyers try to stay alive with the help of a man named Hammond (Pierce Brosnan) who might know just what is going on.

I'll say the movie has "thrills." It's labeled as a mystery or suspense film on Rotten Tomatoes, but it is more of a thriller in my opinion. No Escape has parts that are scary, somewhat uncomfortable but nothing that is ever too terrible. That is where the movie falters.

John Erick Dowdle, who co-wrote and directed No Escape, does a better job in both positions than his last movie As Above, So Below, but he manages to make the "escape" seem way too easy. They hide in a bush and the rebels miss them. Easy. They put on scarves and hats and walk right through a rebel protest and are almost spotted, yet still manage to get through. Easy.

Owen Wilson's "gee whiz" swagger (from a review on The Work Print) works at the beginning of the movie, but as the story goes on it starts to become a bit of distraction because it rubs off on the rest of his family. Everyone somehow manages to become a "wow what is happening? why are we in this?" thinking character and that falls on Dowdle's script. Character development is also little-to-none which makes for a somewhat one-not movie. "Oh hey we are foreigners and we need to survive!" The times that the script tries to give characters some time to shine isn't entirely explained. (i.e. the scene with Lake Bell and Owen Wilson in the bathroom). Hammond is the only exception due to how fun and interesting his character is. More on him later.

No Escape's editing and direction create a chilling atmosphere, though, which really put you inside of the mind of the Dwyers. That's a positive. Hammond's character is also a positive when he is onscreen because he injects a sense of fun at times and real danger at others into the film. Spoiler warning for No Escape though...

SPOILER WARNING NOW. SCROLL TIL YOU SEE "ALL CLEAR."

Why did Hammond HAVE to die? I get he was a mentor, but he was probably the best character and added a new perspective on the uprising. Killing him off wasted the talent of Pierce Brosnan, but his death was sorta cool (with him shooting the driver of a truck and then opening his arms to accept death as the truck ran him right over). Ugh. That part bugged me. Oh well.

ALL CLEAR.

Overall, No Escape has thrills and some fun throughout but the script's poor execution leaves characters feeling bland or annoying. I give No Escape a 4.5/10. The video below is of my friend Baili's reaction to the film after we left our screening. She gives it a 6/10.

-Samuel