Escape at Dannemora

The stranger-than-fiction account of a prison break in upstate New York in the summer of 2015, which spawned a massive manhunt for two convicted murderers who were aided in their escape by a married female prison employee with whom they both became sexually entangled.

Escape at Dannemora (2018) is a American limited series created by Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin for Showtime. Set in the summer of 2015 across upstate New York, the seven-episode true crime drama dramatizes the stranger-than-fiction prison break that set off a massive manhunt. Benicio del Toro plays convicted murderer Richard Matt and Paul Dano plays fellow inmate David Sweat, two men planning their escape from a rigid correctional facility. Patricia Arquette plays Joyce Tilly Mitchell, a married prison employee whose entanglement with both men becomes the hidden engine of the plot, while Eric Lange, David Morse and Bonnie Hunt fill out the lives orbiting the breakout. Each episode pulls between the prison walls and the wider search, building a slow, claustrophobic tension through rural roads, tense interrogations and the mounting dread of pursuit. The tone is bleak and character-driven, with sharp performances carrying a grounded, dark portrait of institutional failure and human betrayal. Fans of The Night Of, The Jinx and Mare of Easttown will find resonance in its true crime grounding and morally murky characters.

Critics and viewers broadly praised the lead performances and the true-crime tension of the 2015 Clinton Correctional prison break, while finding the seven-episode run somewhat overlong.

• The Night Ofshared true crime dramatization of a real prison escape, slow tense procedural pacing, character-driven moral ambiguity
• The Jinxshared limited series format dramatizing a real American crime with prestige cast and bleak tone
• Mare of Easttownshared true crime dramatization of a manhunt and small-town complicity, grounded serious tone

Created by

Brett Johnson, Michael Tolkin

Release Date

2018-11-18

Episode runtime

51 min

Rating

7.9 / 10 (301)

What is Escape at Dannemora about?

A married prison worker becomes entangled with two convicts during their 2015 escape from an upstate New York prison.

What is Escape at Dannemora like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Escape at Dannemora as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Escape at Dannemora violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Escape at Dannemora as moderate.

What did critics think of Escape at Dannemora?

Critics and viewers broadly praised the lead performances and the true-crime tension of the 2015 Clinton Correctional prison break, while finding the seven-episode run somewhat overlong.

Which shows are like Escape at Dannemora?

Shows with a similar feel include The Night Of, The Jinx, and Mare of Easttown.

How long is Escape at Dannemora?

Escape at Dannemora: 1 season, 7 episodes.

Is Escape at Dannemora still running?

No, Escape at Dannemora has ended.

Where can I watch Escape at Dannemora?

In United States, Escape at Dannemora streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Apple TV channel, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Spectrum On Demand.