Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- tender
- wistful
- moving
- reflective evening
- remembrance day
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson's deeply affecting final performances and the film's nuanced, moving portrait of lifelong marriage, while some found its patriotism overly sentimental.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bernard and Irene Jordan are portrayed as a couple who have shared seventy years together and still encourage each other's desires.
Bernard leaves his care home without permission to attend the D-Day anniversary celebrations in France.
Bernard's journey is organized around the seventieth anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings and his identity as a veteran.
Young Bernard and Young Irene appear alongside their older counterparts, linking the couple's wartime past to their contemporary life.
Films like The Great Escaper, and why
The Leisure Seeker
warm, understated drama about aging, marriage, memory, and a late-life act of personal freedom
45 Years
moving elderly-couple relationship drama balancing humor, mortality, and enduring devotion
The Lady in the Van
British true-life drama centered on older protagonists, historical memory, and emotionally restrained patriotism
The Last Vermeer
reflective wartime-memory drama with poignant performances and an elderly protagonist confronting the past
Movie Details
- Director
- Oliver Parker
- Release Date
- 2023-10-06
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (181)
Cast
- Michael Caine
- Glenda Jackson
- John Standing
- Will Fletcher
- Laura Marcus
- Victor Oshin
- Danielle Vitalis
- Joe Bone
- Donald Sage Mackay
- Carlyss Peer
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel, WETA+
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Great Escaper about?
- An elderly D-Day veteran slips away from his care home for one final journey to Normandy, finding renewed freedom and connection with his lifelong wife.
- What is The Great Escaper like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Great Escaper as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Great Escaper violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Great Escaper as mild.
- What did critics think of The Great Escaper?
- Critics broadly praised Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson's deeply affecting final performances and the film's nuanced, moving portrait of lifelong marriage, while some found its patriotism overly sentimental.
- Which films are like The Great Escaper?
- Films with a similar feel include The Leisure Seeker, 45 Years, The Lady in the Van, and The Last Vermeer.
- How long is The Great Escaper?
- The Great Escaper runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Great Escaper?
- In United States, The Great Escaper streams on PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel, WETA+.
