No Escape

An American family moves to a country in Southeast Asia that borders Vietnam but suddenly find themselves in the midst of a coup. Owen Wilson plays the father and Lake Bell the mother. Pierce Brosnan is on hand as a Brit that helps them out.

"No Escape" (2015) is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that tackles a real-life possibility. What happens if you're unexpectedly thrust into a situation where you HAVE to protect your family? Would you kill to survive? This is like "The Killing Fields" (1985) in the modern day, albeit way more compelling and succinct.

It's nice to see Owen in something serious; he plays the every-man role well. Meanwhile Lake ain't no slouch and Brosnan kicks axx in a peripheral part.

The film runs 1 hour, 43 minutes, and was shot in Thailand.

GRADE: A-/B+

A good story, well told is how I would describe this above-average American thriller that actually manages a certain level of intensity and momentum, two qualities I always look out for in my movies. It's a simple action thriller with a focus on movement and escape, as an American family visiting an unnamed south-east Asian country find themselves caught up in a coup and must literally flee for their lives.

The reason NO ESCAPE is so effective is because the storyline is a believable one. There's a decent sense of realism built up from the outset and just enough time given to develop the characters before throwing them into the deep end. I admit I was a bit nonplussed about the casting of Owen Wilson, but he was acceptable as the lead just as he was in the non-comedy BEHIND ENEMY LINES all those years ago. The rest of the cast have little to work with, but Pierce Brosnan brings a wry humour as the British tourist the family hook up with at their hotel.

The thriller sequences set in and around the hotel are by far the best bit of this film; they're edge of the seat stuff, with great cinematography to boost the action. After this point, the film drops down a notch and is never quite as thrilling; plus, I always dislike action set at night, because you can never see properly what's going on. Still, the hotel scenes alone are enough to make this a worthwhile watch.

My husband and I are big into movies of all genres and appreciate quality. We loved this movie. It was very intense/stressful with suspense from beginning to end. It speaks to what parents/family would do for each other. We had never seen Owen Wilson in a role like this, but thought he and Lake Bell did a phenomenal job! Believable performances by all. Even the kids did great. This movie is very underrated!

I walked into this movie with very low expectations and I was tired. This movie stars Owen Wilson in an Action/Thriller...not a comedy. That's not saying his comedies are that great, either. But this film wow-ed me. I literally said, "wow" out loud in the theater.

The start of the movie was very captivating. Enough action was in before the titles even came on, then unexpected humor. Kenny Rogers even showed up (not really, but you'll see what I mean)! Overall, Owen Wilson and his family are placed in extremely difficult situations to which it seems that there is little to no escape. The plot alone deserves at least a 4.5 of 5 stars. Coupled with the 5 star acting of not only Wilson, but the children! These kids were absolutely astounding and very convincing! Even Pierce Brosnan was a wonderful addition to the movie, with his excellent comedic timing. I will say that the comedy's placement messed with me because the movie was that stressful. Perhaps the only issue I had was the ending. It just could have been better writing. Direction and acting get 5 stars from me, and the soundtrack about a 4 for its excellent suspense addition. I did not expect this movie to be great, but I had trouble getting to sleep afterwards because I was so stressed out! This movie deserves at least a 4.5 of 5 stars! I would pay to see this movie!

I always enjoyed Owen Wilson's comedies but I still recall his Behind Enemy lines role and he did it so perfect! In this movie too, I did expect him to do a fantastic job in a serious role and he just crosses all your expectations! Pierce Brosnon was was amazing in this movie, though not that much of a screen time he shares, but shines in whatever time he gets on screen. The child actors and the female lead did their job fair n square. The slow motions used are so perfectly timed in this movie and go so well with the background scores.

It was intense and captivating throughout! A perfect "escape movie" with tensions not subduing for any time at all. Excellent editing and direction with good enough production values and cast. There are some very intense action scenes throughout! This movie is I guess one of the underrated gems! Do watch it.