The Escape

Name: The Escape
Genre: Drama
Released: May 11, 2018
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 75
Cast: Dominic Cooper, Frances Barber, Gemma Arterton, Jalil Lespert, Laura Donoughue

2018

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Ratings

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6.8

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6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Ratings

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The Escape

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date: May 11, 2018 | NR

Starring: Dominic Cooper, Frances Barber, Gemma Arterton, Jalil Lespert, Laura Donoughue, Marthe Keller, Montserrat Lombard

Summary: Tara (Gemma Arterton), a housewife in suburban London, is living a life that is no longer hers: it belongs to her overworked, self-absorbed husband (Dominic Cooper); her young son and daughter; and the numbing routine of housework and childcare. In desperate need of a change, Tara one day makes a bold decision. Armed with a one-way ticketTara (Gemma Arterton), a housewife in suburban London, is living a life that is no longer hers: it belongs to her overworked, self-absorbed husband (Dominic Cooper); her young son and daughter; and the numbing routine of housework and childcare. In desperate need of a change, Tara one day makes a bold decision. Armed with a one-way ticket to Paris, she leaves everything behind to rediscover herself in a new city—but walking out on your life isn’t so simple. [IFC Films]… Expand

Director: Dominic Savage

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: NR

Runtime: 101 min

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Critic Reviews

Sheri Linden

May 10, 2018

Working in an improvisatory vein, in actual locations rather than constructed sets, writer-director Dominic Savage gives this story of a married woman's despair and awakening a powerful, lived-in immediacy. It's also the story of a man's struggle to understand his wife's pain, and the tortured, tender chemistry between leads Arterton and Dominic Cooper is profoundly affecting, at times shattering. Read full review

Jeannette Catsoulis

May 10, 2018

Subtle and slow and wrenchingly empathetic, The Escape is about gradually realizing that the life you have may not be the one you want. Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Aug 14, 2018

A superlative performance from Gemma Arterton is at the centre of this almost unbearably painful and sad film from writer-director Dominic Savage. Read full review

Josh Wise

May 10, 2018

It deals with a very ordinary emergency with deftness of touch, and the power of a singular performance. Read full review

Leah Greenblatt

May 10, 2018

Its title sounds like the premise for some kind of high-adrenaline adventure about maze-running or outgunning a nuclear apocalypse. But The Escape is both less thrilling and much scarier, in its own way — a quiet domestic-drama chamber piece with a vein of pure desperation thrumming beneath it. Read full review

Guy Lodge

May 10, 2018

Savage’s film thoughtfully and credibly outlines the conflict between a superficially abundant lifestyle and overwhelming internal lack. It’s on less sure footing with the morally fraught wish-fulfilment of its second half, though Arterton’s quiet, consistent emotional conviction pulls matters through. Read full review

The Telegraph Tim Robey

Aug 9, 2018

For all The Escape’s weaknesses, it’s held together with real sinew by Arterton, who lives and breathes the stifling air of Tara’s habitat without needing to act up a storm at any point. Read full review

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SSR

Aug 18, 2018

A mesmerising story that feels incredibly real, with a standout performance by Gemma Arterton. The film is also beautifully shot, and the score fits perfectly.

Recommended for fans of gritty philosophical drama.

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bfoore90

Apr 25, 2019

Gemma Arterton, who is wonderful in this, plays a frustrated stay at home mother in a incredibly real and unflinching look at depression and entrapment. It is a bit slow building up but Arterton's vulnerable yet strong performance build to an ultimately strong conclusion.

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JJJ

Nov 22, 2020

If you’re prone to depression don’t watch this. While it is well-acted, my problem with this story is the passivity that defines the main character. It would have made more sense if it was made in the 1950s. Being a stay-at-home parent is not for everybody, which is why women have fought forIf you’re prone to depression don’t watch this. While it is well-acted, my problem with this story is the passivity that defines the main character. It would have made more sense if it was made in the 1950s. Being a stay-at-home parent is not for everybody, which is why women have fought for the right to make choices for themselves. Additionally, the mental health field is thriving and psychotropics are widely available. The man who wrote and directed this movie provides us with the most passive woman on the face of the earth. Allows her husband to have sex with her when she clearly doesn’t want to - uh, she can say NO. Get a job, get a therapist, get a job, get a divorce, find some friends. Raising children is not easy and neither is marriage or depression but that’s not the problem here. The problem is the writer/director created two shallow, unsympathetic and unlikable characters and I felt his disdain for them. A very unpleasant movie-watching experience.… Expand

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