New No Escape Movie Received Mostly Negative Reviews From Major Critics
The Weinstein Company released their new action/thriller film, “No Escape,” into theaters this past Wednesday, August 26th, and all the reviews are in from the major, top movie critics. It turns out that most of them just didn’t favor it with only an overall 39 score out of a possible 100 across 31 reviews at the Metacritic.com site.
The film stars: Chatchawai Kamonsakpitak, Kanarpat Phintiang, Lake Bell, Nophand Boonyai, Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Tanapol Chuksrida and Thanawut Kasro. We’ve posted blurbs from a couple of the critics,below.
Gary Goldstein from the Los Angeles Times, gave it an ok 70 grade, stating: “It’s hardly essential viewing, but No Escape is a tense, at times riveting action-thriller about innocents abroad. Supersize your popcorn, check your logic at the door and settle in for a pretty good ride.”
Daniel M. Good from The New York Times, gave it a 60 score, saying: “Directed breathlessly by John Erick Dowdle (“As Above/So Below”), the movie is filled with jittery shots from hand-held cameras, and hurtles along at a pace that is especially helpful in racing past the holes in the paper-thin plot.”
Walter Addiego over at the San Francisco Chronicle, gave it a 50 grade. He stated: “Strict plausibility isn’t necessary in these movies, and while No Escape doesn’t completely throw it out the window, it still inspires the occasional unintended giggle.”
Peter Keough over at the Boston Globe, gave it a 50 score. He said: “No Escape is a tense but utterly predictable exercise in Western xenophobic paranoia and guilt.”
Katie Walsh from the Chicago Tribune, gave it a 60 grade, stating: “Unfortunately, No Escape can’t stay 10 steps ahead of its misguided politics and overly dramatic storytelling and crumbles under its own preposterous climactic denouement.”
Stephen Dalton over at The Hollywood Reporter, gave it a 50 score. stating: “No Escape is a pedestrian but modestly gripping nerve-jangler from writer-director John Erick Dowdle.”
Joe Morgenstern from the Wall Street Journal, gave it a 40 grade, stating: “I won’t make a case for No Escape being a good film; the first half is pretty good and the second half ranges from pretty bad to truly awful. Nor will I deny having enjoyed quite a bit of it as a zombie film, never mind that it’s supposed to be an international thriller with contemporary political significance.”
Joe Neumaier over at the New York Daily News, gave it a 40 score, stating: “There’s no fleeing the clunkiness in No Escape.”
Richard Roeper over at the Chicago Sun-Times, gave it a 38 grade. He stated: “There’s no denying director/co-writer John Erick Dowdle’s skill set for creating almost unbearably tense and quite twisted suspense pieces in which you’ll find yourself laughing at the sheer unapologetic insanity of it all.”
Justin Long at Variety, gave it a 30 score, stating: “Grittily propulsive filmmaking and solid performances from Owen Wilson and Lake Bell aside, there’s no escaping the movie’s hand-wringing manipulations and pandering sense of privilege.”
Kevin P. Sullivan from Entertainment Weekly, gave it a 25 grade, stating: “Even ignoring the racism — which is pretty much impossible — No Escape is a cliché-ridden, artless relic.”
Peter Travers over at Rolling Stone gave it a 25 score, saying: “This movie really moves. But a fleet of tanks couldn’t help the brothers Dowdle push past the plot holes in this rancid mess.”
Alonso Duralde at TheWrap, gave it a 20 grade, saying: “Between the script and the superior editing by Elliot Greenberg (“Chronicle”), there’s an enormous amount of tension and thrills to be found here; unfortunately, they’re all in the service of a movie that’s reprehensible to the core.”
Finally, Peter Sobczynski from RogerEbert.com, gave it a really bad 12 grade, stating: “Films don’t get much dreggier than No Escape, a dreadful and creepily exploitative would-be thriller, low-grade trash that it is too silly and stupid to be as offensive as it frequently comes close to being throughout.” Stay tuned. Also, get your favorite Movie stuff, and more by Clicking Here.
