When Empowerment Narratives Miss the Mark

Read Time:3 Minute, 47 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Escape
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Genre: Thriller
Year Released: 2024
Runtime: 1h 33m
Director(s): Howard J. Ford
Writer(s): Howard J. Ford
Cast: Sarah Alexandra Marks, Sophie Rankin, Sean Cronin, Glenn Salvage, Jon-Paul Gates, Anthony Ofoegbu, Marc Danbury, Louis James, Ksenia Islamova, Megan Lockhurst, Tiffany Hannam-Daniels, Hannah Baxter-Eve, Russell Shaw, Angela Dixon, Justin Hayward, Ella Starbuck, Mark Haldor, Alex Reece
Where To Watch: available everywhere March 15, 2024

RAVING REVIEW: ESCAPE hints at a story brimming with resilience and the fight for freedom. With ten women at its heart, taken from their peaceful lives of luxury and thrown into a problematic plan by a notorious cartel, the movie sets the stage for a narrative of grit and perseverance. The vast and unforgiving desert is more than scenery; it provides a formidable adversary in its own right. Under Howard J. Ford's direction, the deeper we delve, the more apparent ESCAPE's luster is dimmed by its lofty ambitions and the out-of-touch male gaze in attempting to empower women.

A blend of aesthetic and a willful spirit, the ensemble cast hints at a departure from the damsel-in-distress trope, presenting characters that offer a little more depth and complexity than we’re used to. The film's antagonists, crafted to unsettle and intimidate, starkly oppose our heroines' empowerment and instead still become a cliche. The film's narrative, caught in the thorns of its own making, ESCAPE aims high with its themes of empowerment and vengeance but trips over substantial flaws that become all too clear as the film progresses.

The technical execution, from script to screen, exhibits signs of an identity crisis. With fluctuating performances, although most were serviceable and a narrative marred by clichés and predictability, the film struggles to maintain the engagement and investment of its audience. The reliance on well-worn stereotypes blurs its ambitions and raises questions about the film's overall impact.

Amidst these challenges, ESCAPE does offer fleeting moments of substance. The climactic confrontations (of which there are multiple) infused with the spirit of the cast try their best to momentarily capture the essence of what this film could have achieved. These instances serve as reminders of the untapped potential lurking beneath the surface, suggesting a different outcome had the execution been as sharp as the concept.

We’re promised a tale that uplifts the human spirit against all odds and flips the genre on its head, yet from the introductory scenes, as the plot progresses, it becomes evident that the narrative's pacing and coherence are hampered, struggling to sustain the initial promise through to a fulfilling conclusion. A survival film like this doesn’t have to rely on offering cliches to attempt to draw in a male audience; if the story itself had more depth, it could survive on its own.

ESCAPE finds itself in an awkward limbo within its genre, straddling the line between an exploitative throwback and a modern narrative of resilience. It falls short of marking a significant milestone in cinema but ignites discussion on the evolution of genre storytelling and the representation of indomitable will in dire circumstances. This blend of successes and misfires underscores the intricate balance of storytelling, where tradition and innovation need to find each other to resonate with today's audiences, leaving us with a vivid example of the trials and tribulations faced when ambition outpaces execution.

#EscapeMovie

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[photo courtesy of SABAN FILMS]

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