No Escape

An American contractor and his family (dad Owen Wilson, mom Lake Bell, daughters Sterling Jerins and Claire Geare) arrive in an unnamed Southeast Asian country for his new job, only to find themselves suddenly in the midst of a violent revolution, with the rebels murdering every foreigner they find. Written by brothers Drew and John Erick Dowdle (and directed by John Erick), the movie is nothing if not brutally effective. Performances are strong (the two little girls are especially intense) and the tension is relentless, but the suspense is not particularly pleasurable, the action set pieces not particularly exhilarating. The Dowdles get a little sloppy at the climax, when Asian characters suddenly start speaking English for no good reason—but by then we're so anxious for it to be over we don't mind. J.L.