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Escape from Pretoria
2020 102 min Australia, Canada, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America PG-13 16+
★6.9
Drama, History, Thriller
Director: Francis Annan
📖 Based on the novel
«Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Prison»
byTim Jenkin
Trailers
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EN
EN
Description
South Africa, 1978. Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee, two white political activists from the African National Congress imprisoned by the apartheid regime, put a plan in motion to escape from the infamous Pretoria Prison.
Worldwide:
$2.43M
Starring
Daniel Radcliffe
Actor
Daniel Webber
Actor
Ian Hart
Actor
Awards
2 nominations total
Key opinion
Escape from Pretoria is generally viewed as a competent, suspenseful prison-escape thriller that effectively leverages its basis in real events. However, critics are divided over its narrative depth, with many pointing to a lack of meaningful character development and an overly sanitized depiction of prison life.
| Acting | Daniel Radcliffe delivers a convincing and understated performance that successfully moves his career beyond his previous iconic roles. | |
| Direction | The film maintains a high level of tension throughout the escape sequences, successfully engaging viewers despite the limited prison setting. | |
| Production | The depiction of prison life and the competence of the guards is highly divisive; some find it a tense thriller, while others criticize it as cartoonish, implausible, and overly sanitized. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is criticized for lacking psychological depth, providing little backstory for the protagonists, and failing to provide a substantive exploration of the apartheid context. | |
| Cinematography | The film is visually well-executed, with effective cinematography that creates a professional aesthetic despite the budget-constrained environment. |