Why Horror Fans Need to See The Dowdle Brothers’ ‘No Escape’
It goes without saying that I am a big horror fan. But I am equally fond of action cinema. And No Escape exists at the intersection of those two genres. It is an action feature that combines breakneck pacing with graphic violence and grindhouse energy. But when stopping to consider that the film was conceived by the Dowdle brothers, it makes perfect sense that it would be.
The duo terrified audiences when they burst onto the scene with the harrowing pseudo-documentary The Poughkeepsie Tapes and from there, they went on to cocreate intense and terrifying efforts like As Above, So Below. So, it’s only natural that when the dynamic duo tried their hand at making an action picture, they would infuse it with plenty of genre film flavor.
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No Escape sees Jack Dwyer (played by Owen Wilson of The Haunting) and his family relocate to Southeast Asia for a work opportunity. Shortly after their arrival, civil unrest transpires, and the locals protest the unwanted presence of foreigners with deadly force. The Dwyer family must now fight for their survival and strategically evade capture in the hopes of finding refuge at the American Embassy.
No Escape features surprisingly likable characters. Each member of the Dwyer family is enjoyable and comes across as authentic. Wilson is pitch-perfect as Jack, the patriarch of the Dwyer clan. He’s perpetually prepared with a dad joke on the tip of his tongue at all times. And his devotion to his daughters (Sterling Jerins as Lucy and Claire Geare as Beeze) reads as genuine and undying. Lake Bell (Black Rock) is also quite effective as the Dwyer matriarch, Annie. She’s the more practical yin to Jack’s yang. And their connection feels real. We see their union depicted with warts and all and that makes their connection far more believable than it would otherwise be. They have problems as any couple does. But they weather the highs and lows together.
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The authentic character depictions in No Escape serve the film well. It works to make the flick particularly engaging. The characters go through absolute hell for the duration of the runtime, which makes for an intense viewing experience in and of itself. But that experience is further intensified by the fact that these are people in whose fate we’ve grown particularly invested.
Though it’s unconventional to feature a family of four in an action film (instead of going the more expected route with a lone wolf protagonist that doesn’t play by the rules) it works to surprising effect here.
Even though No Escape is a film about a family, this is certainly not a family film. The flick never shies away from putting the Dwyer children in unspeakable peril. In one harrowing sequence, Jack binds his daughter’s hands before tossing her from the top of one building to a neighboring high-rise. To be fair, he does what he does to save her life. But that’s not something one is overly accustomed to seeing depicted onscreen.
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The film’s anything-goes attitude and flare for violence give the flick a certain grindhouse sensibility. And that’s a large part of what makes No Escape likely to appeal to horror fans. The flick is willing to carve its own path and unafraid to explore subject matter that is often considered taboo.
All in all, this is an intense flick that never gives the viewer a break from the constant barrage of chase sequences, brutal kills, and death-defying acts of heroism. All of that is enhanced by frenetic editing, a cacophonous score, and sound design that made me jump out of my seat on more than one occasion.
If you’re looking for a film that’s off the beaten path and a bit different, I highly recommend giving No Escape a look. If you’re keen to do so, you can find it for free as of the publication of this post on Vudu and Redbox!
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