Although not an award winner, this is a solid enough movie. First, this is not so much an action film, but a suspenseful drama about a prison escape. Second, this is a true story and followed the actual events pretty close. The real escapee, Tim Jenkins, was on the set and commented that some major scenes were 'almost exactly how it actually happened.' The film is based on two white South African men sent to jail for 12 and 8 year sentence for setting off minor explosions that released their anti-apartheid pamphlets (paper bombs). The acting was good. The sets were good. They had to cut out a lot of the character build up in the beginning due to time constraints, so they jumped right into the actual crime being committed, and them being sentenced and going straight to jail. Although the film did build some suspense and I was curious to see it play out, the movie's pace was occasionally slow as the plot plodded along in some areas, which did take the tension down a notch at times. Yes, it could have been better, but it was a decent and enjoyable film IMHO! Based on the book: Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Prison by Tim Jenkins (had mild language, mild violence, no nudity) 6.5 stars March2022.
Review of Escape from Pretoria
