No Escape Intense Racism

Likely to be more remembered for its racism than any of the thrills it manages to generate, the amount one can like No Escape essentially comes down to how much one can ignore anything other than its technical accomplishments. If it was possible to focus solely on how well it generates tension, No Escape might wind up being a shining example, one that we hold up among the greats as a “how to” manual of how to make this type of movie. But because most of us are thinking human beings, it’s hard to separate the technical proficiency from its politics, which are just a little bit disgusting. The story begins like many fish-out-of-water plots do. A family moves from their cozy American home to an unnamed country in Asia, and have to deal with all of the pesky problems that come with doing so, like finding a taxi, power outages, people who don’t speak their language, and so on. The father, Jack (Owen Wilson), tries to find an English newspaper, but can only find one several days old. Upon walking back to his hotel, he finds himself caught in the middle of a coup. The Asian rebels are murdering everyone they see – but in particular Americans. So, Jack and co. need to continually try to run away from the villains – who essentially amount to every Asian in the film, save for maybe two – constantly finding themselves in peril and having to figure out another way to get out of danger. That’s where our acting comes in. Owen Wilson and his on-screen wife Lake Bell may not seem like the right actors for these types of roles, probably because they’re not, but their everyperson personas wind up helping us sympathize with their situation. They can’t just go into Action Mode and save everyone; they’re scared for themselves and for their children, and they’re not ever sure exactly what to do. That is, until it comes to murdering Asians, which they do with glee and without any psychological trauma – despite the fact that they’re “normal people.” Oops! We’re back to the film’s racism again. That keeps popping up for some reason. Sorry! Bottom Line: No Escape is a film without a touch of tact, but also more than a few thrills. Recommendation: If you’re someone who can ignore blatant racism in a film, No Escape will be a fun ride. [rating=2]