Akilla's Escape

Play trailer

Akilla's Escape

2021

1h 30m

Crime

Drama

Action

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

49 Reviews

50%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

A drug dealer finds his moral code challenged when he interrupts an armed robbery and captures one of the gang members who is a 15-year-old boy.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Akilla's Escape occasionally loses sight of its strongest assets, but solid acting and a smart story make this a neo-noir worth watching.

Read Critics Reviews

Whelan Barzey

Time Out

Jul 25, 2023

3/5

It’s an uneven puzzle: eye-catching but not entirely convincing when put together.

Go to Full Review

Leslie Felperin

Financial Times

Aug 25, 2022

3/5

The editing and cinematography are heavily stylised, which can make the film feel like a flighty distended music video at times, but Williams and Mpumlwana’s alert, compelling performances keep things grounded in grit.

Go to Full Review

Phil Hoad

Guardian

Aug 23, 2022

2/5

It’s all not quite enough to get Officer’s film to live up to its pretensions, which are also present in the overlong opening credits discoursing on Jamaican history and corruption; themes hinted at later but which never entirely bloom.

Go to Full Review

Shakyl Lambert

CGMagazine

Jul 12, 2024

7.5/10

Although it suffers from slow pacing, Akilla’s Escape remains an engaging neo-noir mainly off the strength of its two lead performances.

Go to Full Review

Edward Porter

Sunday Times (UK)

Sep 13, 2022

2/5

Williams is a strong presence, but the story’s elements — past and present — blur together in a monotonous whole.

Go to Full Review

Josh Parham

Next Best Picture

Jun 5, 2022

4/10

The themes explored lack nuance, the storytelling doesn't craft an engaging pace, and the performances are near-universally bland.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

mark g

@Mark_Alan_G. Jan 14, 2026

Very strong movie, beautifully shot and well acted. After watching it I was shocked at the low rating on IMDB. However, something very screwy about that rating and if you look at the ratings you will see that. This film will pull you in and give you perspective on a way of life you are unfamiliar with.

See more

Oct 1, 2021

A hauntingly beautiful tale of redemption and fatherhood. Saul Williams is a movie star. Highly recommend. Take it in.

See more

florent m

@FlorentMagnoac Jul 12, 2021

Pretty conventional on many levels and on most of its story beats. Has some good acting and ideas but it's stuck in usual gang story.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Charles Officer

Director

Saul Williams

Akilla

Thamela Mpumlwana

Sheppard

Donisha Rita Claire Prendergast

Faye

Vic Mensa

Prince

Olunike Adeliyi

Thetis

Flinch

56%

90%

Flinch

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Flinch

The River Thief

0%

66%

The River Thief

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The River Thief

Looted

100%

80%

Looted

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Looted

MAFIA INC

93%

82%

MAFIA INC

Watchlist

TRAILER

for MAFIA INC

Wallflower

40%

%

Wallflower

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Wallflower

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

A drug dealer finds his moral code challenged when he interrupts an armed robbery and captures one of the gang members who is a 15-year-old boy.

Director: Charles Officer
Producer: Jake Yanowski
Screenwriter: Charles Officer, Wendy Motion Brathwaite
Distributor: Vertical Entertainment
Production Co: Canesugar Filmworks
Genre: Crime, Drama, Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 11, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 11, 2021
Runtime: 1h 30m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings