‘The hunt is on’
Escape the Field is a 2022 American mystery horror film about six strangers trapped in a cornfield with “an unseen evil.”
Directed and produced by Emerson Moore from a screenplay co-written by Sean Wathen and Joshua Dobkin. Also produced by Andrew Davies Gans, Jason Moring and Michael Philip.
The movie stars Jordan Claire Robbins, Theo Rossi, Tahirah Sharif, Julian Feder, Elena Juatco and Shane West.
Plot:
Six strangers suddenly awaken in a remote, endless cornfield. Stripped of their possessions, they are left with only six items: a gun with a single bullet, matches, a lantern, a knife, a compass, and a flask of water.
As mysterious sirens blare in the distance and traps appear at every turn, the group realizes it’s been plunged into a cat-and-mouse game with an unseen evil, and survival depends upon solving a diabolical — and deadly — puzzle…
Our view:
Escape the Field has an intriguing premise and the cast perform well in their various roles. As the characters struggle to work out what to do in their predicament there’s bound to be much bickering and yet this never reaches the annoying levels of some similarly-themed survival movies.
It’s decently lit and shot so that the action is always visible even during night scenes and benefits from a score by Will Musser that throbs gratifying in the background. And yet, plotwise the film tries to be too clever for its own good with a final reveal that many viewers will find frustrating rather than cathartic. That said, it’s better than most conspiracy movies of the same ilk so worth a watch.
Adrian J Smith, MOVIES and MANIA
Other reviews:
” …so much of the film is pulled from other, better offerings of panicky, puzzling entertainment, and Moore doesn’t have the training to really get the juices flowing with this premise. Escape the Field is low-budget and restrained by certain production limitations, but it’s also weirdly uneventful…” 4/10 Blu-ray.com
“The plotting of the mystery is spot on, and while I would easily compare it to an Agatha Christie novel, it’s no Dan Brown adventure. Filmmaker Emerson Moore clearly demonstrates he can achieve maximum thrillers for his budget and captures some engrossing performances from his actors.” Fears Mag
“Moore and co-scribes Sean Wathen and Joshua Dobkin have packed a season’s worth of Lost into an untaxing hour and a half, without all the side stories to detract from the action. However, they also bring the divisive series’ mountain of frustration — less in how it ends and more about just what the heck we’re looking at in the final shot.” Flick Attack
” …this film is as good as it is frustrating, and in some ways the frustrating is even good because that’s its intention […] if you are a fan of movies like the Cube Franchise, the 2015 Indie The Circle, and I would argue this is a way better pseudo version of the first Saw, giving us a cool puzzle to put together without the excessive and nonsensical side storyline…” Freshly Buttered Popcorn
” …both entertains and keeps you guessing at what comes next. The location and cast help Moore’s, Sean Wathen‘s and Joshua Dobkin‘s writing, which also cleverly utilises some original puzzles, and a conspiracy theory that could’ve used a proper ending to bring it to a more satisfying conclusion.” 3.5/5 Into Screens
“There’s also some psychological horror that comes from wondering what’s beyond the field. Those aesthetic qualities alone don’t amount to much, though, and eventually, the creepiness begins to wane. What’s left is a lean albeit underwhelming and undercooked horror thriller.” The NYC Movie Guru
“Escape the Field is tolerable at best. It doesn’t shatter any expectations, but it won’t be utterly hated if one decides to give it a go. There are more charming and innovative horror-thrillers about escaping a maze but Escape the Field tries. For a first feature, it is serviceable for a small-budget venture.” 2/5 Screen Rant
” …with a conventional yet engaging premise, this could be the type of movie that is entertaining for what it is as a new date night watch, rainy day streaming counter programming, etc. if there were only halfway decent writing efforts at best. Not so here.” 1.5/5 That Moment In
Release:
In the US, Escape the Field will be released theatrically in select locations, on Digital and On-Demand (VOD) on May 6, 2022. Pre-order via Amazon
Cast and characters:
Shane West … Ryan
Theo Rossi … Tyler
Jordan Claire Robbins … Sam
Tahirah Sharif … Cameron
Elena Juatco … Denise
Julian Feder … Ethan
Dillon Jagersky … Creature
Niki Kawalez … Rachel
Keith Barnes … Scientist
Trailer:
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