ESCAPE AT DANNEMORA: A Riveting Prison Break Drama

Escape at Dannemora—based on the extraordinary true story dubbed “the Shawshank case” by the media—is a seven-part miniseries starring Patricia Arquette, Benicio Del Toro, and Paul Dano. Arquette stars as Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell, a seamstress working at a maximum-security prison who becomes entangled in a complicated love triangle between convicted killers, Richard Matt (Del Toro) and David Sweat (Dano).

Created by Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin and, in an interesting change of pace, Ben Stiller directs (in his TV-directing debut) and produces the entire show. While the basis is on the true story of the Clinton Correctional Facility escape in 2015, which provoked a widespread manhunt, the prison break is the least interesting aspect of the series. The sexual entanglement between Tilly, Matt and Sweat is fascinating to watch unfold and how manipulation and deceit between the three led to the escape in the first place.

From The Great Escape to The Shawshank Redemption to Escape from Alcatraz, prison break dramas have never failed to highlight the painstaking aspects that an elaborate breakout involves and, Escape at Dannemora, is no exception. Sweat works tirelessly to exact his and Matt’s escape plan. Matt, on the other hand, is lazy and refuses more often than not to help; however, he is a master manipulator and, without him, Tilly would never have been on board. Both are vital to the equation but only two are aware of who’s manipulating whom. Or are they? Where the show succeeds in its first half is forcing you to question whether Tilly was aware of what Matt and Sweat were up to, or if she simply didn’t care. She was gaining the sexual gratification that she had always wanted. Then there’s Lyle (Eric Lange)—Tilly’s husband and malleable victim—who also works at the prison. Poor Lyle. He’s a good man left behind in Tilly’s wake.

The escape was so audacious that a screen adaptation was inevitable; though, what is surprising is the show’s slow pace. However, it is by no means dull. It takes its time and we grow to know the trio, Tilly especially, and you couldn’t have put a more diverse group of personalities together. The only commonality between the three is that they all want out: Matt and Sweat out of prison, Tilly out of her mundane life. Unlike most prison dramas that have preceded it, Escape at Dannemora showcases the dullness of prison life well and it is unsurprising as to why Tilly is the highlight of both men’s day.

When you have acting heavyweights like Arquette, Del Toro and Dano together, there isn’t going to be a bad performance in the bunch but, here, they are exquisite. Hollywood loves nothing more than when a well-known actress “frumps up” and Arquette is barely recognisable. With prosthetics, contact lenses and significant weight gain, Arquette’s transformation is highlighted frequently but she is incredible: selfish and manipulative, confined to her life with Lyle, manipulated by Matt and Sweat, and fantasizing about a better life.

Similarly, Del Toro and Dano are brilliant. Del Toro’s Matt is a former alcoholic and adjusted to life in prison with a casual charm, yet his volatile core bubbles beneath the surface. Dano’s Sweat is still desperately trying to appeal his case, despite being ostracised by his family. Sweat is the underdog of the group who silently works away in his cell when the lights go out, as Matt devotes more and more time to charming Tilly.

Stiller bathes the series in long and striking shots, as well as dousing the show in close-ups of its three leads. It is an impressive debut. The show takes its time moving forward but its final two episodes are gripping. The penultimate episode is a flashback expressing how Matt and Sweat got life in prison. Only hints have been given beforehand but this new information sheds a light on the kind of men Tilly has been spending all her time with. Everything suddenly makes sense, the show becomes all the more absorbing, and this step backwards drives the action onwards.

Tilly, Matt and Sweat are loathsome but you won’t find a more thrilling trio who are quicker to betray one another. Escape at Dannemora is a marvellous prison drama that requires patience and commitment, and features magnificent performances from three of the best actors working today.

Have you seen Escape at Dannemora? What did you think of Patricia Arquette, Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano’s performances? Leave your thoughts about the show in the comments section below.

Escape at Dannemora was released on 18 November 2018 and is available right now on Amazon Prime Video, and on Now TV in the UK.