Directed by Frances Annan
Written by Frances Annan and L.H. Adams based on the book by Tim Jenkin
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Mark Leonard Winter and Ian Hart
MPAA rating: PG-13 for violence, language and some disturbing material
Running time: 1 hour and 46 minutes

by Ian Hrabe

It’s hard to think of a cinematic formula that works better than the prison escape movie. You take some scrappy dudes, you put them in a jail cell and you watch them use the meager means at their disposal to get one over on the villainous guards. They don’t always succeed, but the subgenre is perfect for highlighting the human spirit and the lengths those in captivity will go to reclaim their freedom. The Grand Illusion, The Great Escape, Le Trou, Stalag 17, The Shawshank Redemption, Down By Law and A Man Escaped are all classic escape movies that come to mind, and classics in any genre for that matter. Frances Annan’s Escape From Pretoria deserves a spot alongside those films and, while that is high praise, this is a damn fine film.