Escape at Dannemora

Couldnt turn it off. What a cast, it would have been wasted in a 2hr movie. Great characterization, supreme acting by all, with excellent cinematography and a perfect meandering soundtrack to match the mood. Thank you Ben Stiller for an exceptional piece of art.

My Rating : 8/10

I'm hooked. I found myself being sucked into this simmering prison break drama right off the bat and am really looking forward to this 7-hour movie unfold every week.

Great camera work, well-thought out storyline and interesting characters. Benicio Del Toro has always been an acting tour de force and this might end up being his best work yet. Impressive performances from Patricia Arquette and Paul Dano who have transformed themselves superbly for their roles. The real surprise for me and many others would be the directing chops of Ben Stiller. Props for giving this an honest treatment, choosing great filmmaking locations (shots of Dannemora, the prison, Malone, Plattsburgh, even the manhole that the prisoners escaped to, are all the actual locations) and the use of music adds a really nice touch to this prison break drama.

Looking forward to the next episodes and of course a thrilling series finale! My favourite moment so far is Benicio Del Toro's ferocious guttural warning to Patricia Arquette's character in Ep 3 - DON'T TELL ANYBOOOOODDDYYYYYY. Rewind and Rewatch x 10000000.

I jumped for joy when Patricia won the Golden Globe! She's an amazing actress and deserves this award. So convincing as Tilly...she gave the character such complexity. I felt sorry for her at times, despised her at other times- such raw emotion that's not seen very often. Love Benicio and Paul's performances as well. I could easily watch this again.

The story would have been much more riveting had it not been stretched into seven episodes. The tension factor was diluted by too much unnecessary fill. A shame, because it distracted from the excellent job done by the actors. When an hour-long episode feels like two, something's not right. An interesting story despite all that, but the "5" rating reflects all the time that was killed for no obvious dramatic effect.

Nothing Ben Stiller has ever done before or behind the camera could prepare you for the utter brilliance of his directorial achievement in this amazing series. His work with the actors is phenomenal, and his camera placement and movement is inspired. It's a thrilling series, with superb performances by all, with special mention for Patricia Arquette, who makes you completely get the double meaning of the title. Yes, the story is about a prison "escape." but it's also about Tilly (Arquette's character) trying to escape her dead-end existence. Memorable. Must-see. Award-worthy.