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Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter franchise, Swiss Army Man), Daniel Webber (The Dirt, "The Punisher"), Ian Hart (Backbeat, The Last Kingdom), Mark Leonard Winter (The Dressmaker, “Cop Hard”) and Nathan Page (“Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries”)
Based on the real-life prison break of two political captives, Escape From Pretoria is a race-against-time thriller set in the tumultuous apartheid days of South Africa. 'Escape from Pertoria' tells the story of Timothy Peter Jenkin, a South African writer, former anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner. He is best known for his 1979 escape from Pretoria Local Prison (part of the Pretoria Central Prison complex), along with fellow activist Stephen Lee and inmate Alex Moumbaris.
The film does a good job of setting up the story and giving us enough information in the beginning and then it turns into an prison escape thriller. Director, Francis Annan who wrote the script with L.H. Adams does a great job of telling how Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee were arrested and sentenced to 12 and 8 years respectively. Francis also does a great job of telling the tale of how Jenkin orchestrated the breakout by making keys to all the doors out of wood. It is pretty amazing what he was able to do with limited supplies and being watched on a constant basis.
The film is at times very nerve-racking as the suspense and tension builds as the story moves along. As a fact based story 'Escape from Pretoria' may not focus as much time on the days of apartheid in South Africa as it does the planning and execution of the escape but it does make for an entertaining and engaging film.
The film also has a fantastic cast including, Daniel Radcliffe who plays Tim Jenkins, Daniel Webber who plays Stephen Lee and Mark Leonard Winter who plays Leonard Fontaine. The rest of the supporting cast were all terrific as well including Ian Hart and Nathan Page.
If you like a good prison film then you need to check out 'Escape from Pretoria' when it opens in select Theaters, On Demand and Digital on March 6, 2020. The film is a suspense filled thriller that puts you at the edge of your seat the entire time.
Released by Momentum Pictures
**** Out Of *****