Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

      View All
      Movies Tv shows Movie Trivia News Showtimes

      The Escapist

      2008, Drama, 1h 43m

      46 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

      You might also like

      See More
      Ashes of Time Redux
      Noise
      Idiocracy
      Run
      Black Dynamite

      Where to watch The Escapist

      Rent/buy

      Rent The Escapist on Apple TV, or buy it on Apple TV.

      Rate And Review

      User image

      Verified

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)



      • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Step 2 of 2

        How did you buy your ticket?

        Let's get your review verified.

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

        You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)

      • How did you buy your ticket?

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

      The Escapist  Photos

      (L-R) Brian Cox as Frank Perry and Damian Lewis as Rizza in "The Escapist." Joseph Fiennes as Lenny Drake in "The Escapist." (L-R) Joseph Fiennes as Lenny Drake, Brian Cox as Frank Perry, and Liam Cunningham as Brodie in "The Escapist." Brian Cox as Frank Perry in "The Escapist." Damian Lewis as Rizza in "The Escapist." (L-R) Joseph Fiennes as Lenny Drake, Brian Cox as Frank Perry, Liam Cunningham as Brodie and Seu Jorge as Viv Batista in "The Escapist." The Escapist (2008)

      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

      News & Interviews for The Escapist

      Critic Reviews for The Escapist

      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.

        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 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

        Super Reviewer

      Movie & TV guides

      View All