Escape from New York
A coerced outlaw must cross a sealed-off Manhattan prison to retrieve a kidnapped president before time runs out.
Overview
In a dystopian future, one man must navigate the chaos of a city turned prison to save the President.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- gritty
- paranoid
- propulsive
- late night
- cult movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film’s inventive dystopian premise, brisk craftsmanship, atmosphere, and Kurt Russell’s performance, while finding its story less substantial than its world-building.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Manhattan has been converted into a sealed maximum-security prison while the wider United States struggles with rampant crime and institutional breakdown.
Snake Plissken is forced into the rescue operation through coercion rather than loyalty to the government or its president.
The film transforms Manhattan into a walled prison populated by gangs, convicts, improvised communities, and dangerous passageways.
Snake’s one-eyed appearance, terse speech, war-veteran history, and refusal to show conventional patriotism shape the film’s attitude.
Films like Escape from New York, and why
The Warriors
dystopian action, urban survival, and a hardened outsider navigating a collapsed society
They Live
stylized science fiction action, authoritarian systems, and a lone antihero with a sardonic edge
Mad Max 2
post-apocalyptic prison society, brutal escape mission, and grimy genre world-building
Escape from L.A.
futuristic urban decay, criminal enclaves, and paranoid action-thriller atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- John Carpenter
- Release Date
- 1981-05-23
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (3661)
Cast
- Kurt Russell
- Lee Van Cleef
- Ernest Borgnine
- Donald Pleasence
- Isaac Hayes
- Season Hubley
- Harry Dean Stanton
- Adrienne Barbeau
- Tom Atkins
- Charles Cyphers
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Escape from New York about?
- A coerced outlaw must cross a sealed-off Manhattan prison to retrieve a kidnapped president before time runs out.
- What is Escape from New York like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Escape from New York as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Escape from New York violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Escape from New York as brutal.
- What did critics think of Escape from New York?
- Critics broadly praised the film’s inventive dystopian premise, brisk craftsmanship, atmosphere, and Kurt Russell’s performance, while finding its story less substantial than its world-building.
- Which films are like Escape from New York?
- Films with a similar feel include The Warriors, They Live, Mad Max 2, and Escape from L.A..
- How long is Escape from New York?
- Escape from New York runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Escape from New York?
- In United States, Escape from New York streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
