Escape From Pretoria

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Escape From Pretoria

PG-13

2020

1h 41m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Popcornmeter

71%

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45 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Sentenced to a South African prison for 12 years, anti-apartheid activist Tim Jenkin and his fellow inmates devise a daring plan to escape.

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Critics Consensus

Escape from Pretoria doesn't quite do justice to the fact-based story it's dramatizing, but that lack of depth is offset by suitably gripping jailbreak action.

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

The pleasure here is in the fine detail, and Annan makes sure we feel every scrape of chisel on wood. The characterizations are not deep, but that's part of the genre.

Rated: 4/5

May 27, 2020

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Danny Leigh

Financial Times

Annan knows how to grip, his story accelerating with a jittery rhythm, while Radcliffe's eternal earnestness fits the bill neatly.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 18, 2020

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

It's the nervy camera, hugging the characters at hip height, the better to scrutinise each locked barrier to freedom, that most successfully builds the tension.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 9, 2020

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Julian Singleton

Cinapse

In execution, the film’s pretty decent; though one can’t help but feel like its dedication to the minutiae of Jenkin and Lee’s escape comes at the cost of a more thorough and needed exploration of its own ideals.

Jul 12, 2025

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Olly Richards

NME (New Musical Express)

For the most part, Escape From Pretoria works well, but it's a shame Annan didn't take more time to dig into the ordinary men who made this extraordinary escape.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 29, 2021

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Deirdre Molumby

entertainment.ie

We haven't had a good prison escape drama in years. Escape from Pretoria isn't perfect, but with an effective pace and gripping sequences, it works.

Rated: 3.5/5

Feb 23, 2021

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ryan P

Well shot but should of just called the movie “The Lock smith” seemed to be mainly about key cutting then anything else , not worth the high reviews wouldn’t waste your time

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/20/25

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Nat N

Radcliffe was ok to pull in the punters, a star for him..but seriously? - why not use genuine SA actors for the rest?! The accents were appalling, completely off-putting and grating. This is a South African story voiced by foreigners, and hardly even skimming the surface of what it was all about. Ok purely as a generic prison break, but if you want to understand more of the context it’s set in, there’s got to be far more authenticity.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/01/25

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Tina-Marie T

Acting was D class at best, did Harry Potter not have a sequal to act in? The lead actors fell horribly short, South African actors should have been used. The accents, nuances and storyline were amateur at best. The storyline could have been so much more, it barely skimmed the surface, basic opportunities lost. It was nothing less than insulting to the history of the era. The only memorable reaction was the bile in my throat. Netflix should allow South African's to tell their stories.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/25

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Iain F

Left me in need of a wee lie down. Intense suspenseful edge of your seat thriller

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/14/24

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Georgan G

Good acting. Interesting, but slow. Despite living through the era, I am surprised to not recall this story.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/28/24

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Kelly K

Well done, suspenseful. Shameful state of the world with apartheid.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/24/24

Full Review

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Francis Annan

Director

Daniel Radcliffe

Tim Jenkin

Ian Hart

Denis Goldberg

Daniel Webber

Stephen Lee

Nathan Page

Mongo

Stephen Hunter

Peter Jenkin

Escape From Pretoria: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Sentenced to a South African prison for 12 years, anti-apartheid activist Tim Jenkin and his fellow inmates devise a daring plan to escape.

Director: Francis Annan
Producer: David Barron, Neal H. Moritz, Toru Nakahara
Screenwriter: Francis Annan, L.H. Adams
Distributor: Momentum Pictures
Production Co: Arclight Films, Premiere Picture, Spier Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Disturbing Material|Language|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 6, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 6, 2020
Runtime: 1h 41m

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