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"Fear a meaningless life, not death itself."
Escape was an exciting chase film running from North Korea to South Korea. Instead of denouncing Communist rhetoric as in some films, the focus was Im Gyu Nam’s overwhelming longing for autonomy and the freedom to fail as often as he desired. The man charged with hunting him down was an old childhood friend who had lost his dreams and had no hope for the freedom Im was willing to risk everything for.
Im Gyu Nam is in charge of a small squad of soldiers near the DMZ. After finishing his 10 years of military service, he will be assigned civilian duty as a farmer or miner. Every night he maps out his escape from North Korea gathering information and biding his time. His subordinate, Kim Dong Hyeok, mucks up his plans by attempting an escape using Im’s secret map. When both men are arrested and tortured, Im’s childhood friend Major Ri Hyeon Sang arrives declaring Im a hero for capturing a deserter. After reassigning Im, the desperate soldier refuses to give up on his dream.
What worked for me:
Lee Je Hoon and Koo Kyo Hwan had great chemistry as estranged friends and bitter adversaries. Their cat and mouse game became more ferocious as the minutes clicked on.
Instead of vilifying the NK propaganda, they showed the South’s sounding very similar. What Im understood was that at least in the South he could travel, explore, and find his own path, one he chose-not the government or Ri. His motivation wasn’t overtly political—he just wanted to live and die on his own terms.
Ri had his own failed dreams-as a pianist and as a man. He’d acquired too much power and status to throw it all away for a friend or freedom.
Je Hoon running! And running! And when he wasn’t running, he was rapidly recalculating as his plans were thwarted. There was no room for boredom in this film.
What didn’t work as well:
Kim Dong Hyeok felt wedged into the story for a couple of obvious plot reasons.
While I enjoyed the fast-paced storytelling, the lack of backstory and motivations was frustrating, reducing the characters to cardboard cut-outs.
After the first half of the film, the situations became more preposterous, especially the deux ex machina used when all seemed lost.
To sum up:
I enjoyed this film when I quieted my ever-questioning mind. The story and thrills raced at breakneck speed with Lee Je Hoon and Koo Kyo Hwan often able to overcome the plot holes and narrative minefields through force of will and charisma. If you are a fan of either actor or this category of film, it’s one to try.
16 September 2026
Trigger warning: Loss of a leg. Wild boars killed.
LGBTQ note: It was heavily implied that Ri was gay and that he and another character had been together when he was stationed in Russia as a competitive pianist. He also possibly cared for Im in a more than brotherly manner. Now married to the Division Commander’s daughter with a baby on the way, he was unable to lead the life he desired. I’m hoping that the writers were not implying that his bitterness was what caused his cruelty. Other movie villains don’t need a reason to torture and kill so I’m going to assume, that this film didn’t drag out that old homophobic trope.
Im Gyu Nam is in charge of a small squad of soldiers near the DMZ. After finishing his 10 years of military service, he will be assigned civilian duty as a farmer or miner. Every night he maps out his escape from North Korea gathering information and biding his time. His subordinate, Kim Dong Hyeok, mucks up his plans by attempting an escape using Im’s secret map. When both men are arrested and tortured, Im’s childhood friend Major Ri Hyeon Sang arrives declaring Im a hero for capturing a deserter. After reassigning Im, the desperate soldier refuses to give up on his dream.
What worked for me:
Lee Je Hoon and Koo Kyo Hwan had great chemistry as estranged friends and bitter adversaries. Their cat and mouse game became more ferocious as the minutes clicked on.
Instead of vilifying the NK propaganda, they showed the South’s sounding very similar. What Im understood was that at least in the South he could travel, explore, and find his own path, one he chose-not the government or Ri. His motivation wasn’t overtly political—he just wanted to live and die on his own terms.
Ri had his own failed dreams-as a pianist and as a man. He’d acquired too much power and status to throw it all away for a friend or freedom.
Je Hoon running! And running! And when he wasn’t running, he was rapidly recalculating as his plans were thwarted. There was no room for boredom in this film.
What didn’t work as well:
Kim Dong Hyeok felt wedged into the story for a couple of obvious plot reasons.
While I enjoyed the fast-paced storytelling, the lack of backstory and motivations was frustrating, reducing the characters to cardboard cut-outs.
After the first half of the film, the situations became more preposterous, especially the deux ex machina used when all seemed lost.
To sum up:
I enjoyed this film when I quieted my ever-questioning mind. The story and thrills raced at breakneck speed with Lee Je Hoon and Koo Kyo Hwan often able to overcome the plot holes and narrative minefields through force of will and charisma. If you are a fan of either actor or this category of film, it’s one to try.
16 September 2026
Trigger warning: Loss of a leg. Wild boars killed.
LGBTQ note: It was heavily implied that Ri was gay and that he and another character had been together when he was stationed in Russia as a competitive pianist. He also possibly cared for Im in a more than brotherly manner. Now married to the Division Commander’s daughter with a baby on the way, he was unable to lead the life he desired. I’m hoping that the writers were not implying that his bitterness was what caused his cruelty. Other movie villains don’t need a reason to torture and kill so I’m going to assume, that this film didn’t drag out that old homophobic trope.
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