X
  • 2021
  • Vertical Entertainment
  • 1 h 30 m
  • 2021
  • Vertical Entertainment
  • 1 h 30 m

Summary In a crime-noir about the urban child-soldier, Akilla Brown captures a fifteen-year-old Jamaican boy in the aftermath of an armed robbery. Over one gruelling night, Akilla confronts a cycle of generational violence he thought he escaped.

Directed By: Charles Officer

Written By: Wendy Motion Brathwaite, Charles Officer

  • 2021
  • Vertical Entertainment
  • 1 h 30 m
  • 2021
  • Vertical Entertainment
  • 1 h 30 m

Akilla's Escape

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 9 Critic Reviews
67
User Score Available after 4 ratings
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Summary In a crime-noir about the urban child-soldier, Akilla Brown captures a fifteen-year-old Jamaican boy in the aftermath of an armed robbery. Over one gruelling night, Akilla confronts a cycle of generational violence he thought he escaped.

Directed By: Charles Officer

Written By: Wendy Motion Brathwaite, Charles Officer

Where to Watch

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 9 Critic Reviews
67
56% Positive
5 Reviews
44% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
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Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 9 Critic Reviews
67
56% Positive
5 Reviews
44% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
Jun 11, 2021
Akilla’s Escape recasts the monolithic narrative of gang involvement as one that rejects a trope of Black peril in order to tell a multi-dimensional story of resilience – one where keen strategists are developed through unsolvable situations, where the enduring love of Black mothers demonstrates what it means to walk into the line of fire and where, amidst abject tumult, moments of tenderness and triumph persist against all odds.
FULL REVIEW
85
Jun 11, 2021
Akilla’s Escape offers few answers when it comes to ending the generational traumas its characters carry, but the unique force with which it expresses the life-altering weight of such burdens meaningfully moves the conversation around them forward.
FULL REVIEW
80
Jun 11, 2021
A mature crime picture whose decades-hopping action makes the effects of generational poverty obvious without having to spell it out, it lacks some of the flash expected in commercial genre pictures, but makes up for that in seriousness.
By John DeFore FULL REVIEW
80
Jun 11, 2021
Although the constant shifts between contemporary Toronto and ‘90s New York can at times cause confusion, the film remains firmly rooted in Williams’ quietly powerful, laser-focused performance.
By Michael Rechtshaffen FULL REVIEW
60
Jul 28, 2022
The screenplay offers limited room for character development – Akilla arrives pretty much fully formed – and what we’re left with is an uneven puzzle, eye-catching in pieces but not entirely convincing when put together.
FULL REVIEW
50
Jun 11, 2021
Akilla’s Escape is undone by its own lack of faith in the viewer, opting to explicitly tell rather than rely on its fine actors to show us who their characters are.
By Odie Henderson FULL REVIEW
40
Aug 24, 2022
This tale of freelance underworld fixer Akilla Brown, played with careworn wisdom by Saul Williams, doesn’t live up to its sharp tailoring and has too much faith in fatigued beats from the gangster-film locker.
By Phil Hoad FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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Details

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Production Company Canesugar Filmworks
Release Date Jun 11, 2021
Duration 1 h 30 m
Genres
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Awards

Canadian Screen Awards, CA
• 5 Wins & 8 Nominations
Directors Guild of Canada
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
Victoria Film Festival, Canada
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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