3 days ago, I attended the premiere screening of the first episode in Plattsburgh, NY, and I've been thinking about the show ever since.
The lead ensemble is excellent. Paul Dano as David Sweat is conflicted. He almost seems like he's really trying to be a "good" person, but what kind of guidance and support can he expect from his peers in the prison system? Richard Matt is calculating, you can tell he could go off the handle at any second. Patricia Arquette as Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell is absolutely perfect in her role as a middle aged woman unhappy with her marriage and becoming smitten with the idea of escaping to someone that she thinks will bring her more happiness. I wanted to say that she stole the show, but Paul Dano and Benicio Del Toro are just as great - there really are no weaknesses at all. I should also comment that the last two things that I saw Benicio Del Toro in were Avengers: Infinity War, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Both of those films saw Del Toro playing characters that were strange, very quirky. After those two (also enjoyable) films, it was fantastic to see him take this role and make a convicted murderer relatable on a human level, it was a joy to watch on screen. Paul Dano's David Sweat is a character that interests me because even though I live in Plattsburgh, David Sweat is the person that I heard least about in all of the press coverage when these events were actually happening. We all knew about Joyce Mitchell, and of course how things end with Matt, but I don't think David Sweat was personified nearly as much in the media, so I'm extremely excited to see how his story arc plays out. It's even more intriguing because director Ben Stiller was able to contact the real David Sweat in prison, giving this production a very real air of authenticity.
Continuing on with authenticity, it is extremely important to note that extreme efforts were made to replicate what really happened. This show was shot on location. The shots of Dannemora, the prison, Malone, Plattsburgh, even the manhole that the prisoners escaped to, are all the actual locations. Yes, the prison walls really do tower above the rest of the town, as shown in one of the opening establishing drone shots. Governor Cuomo was involved in shooting, as well as many locals who experienced these events first-hand. There were open casting calls in Plattsburgh for extras - hundreds of people showed up, and every single person got an audition. Not everyone was cast, but no one was turned away from an audition. Many of the people in this show really do live here. One excellent scene showed Tilly Mitchell and her husband discussing their weekend plans in the car. Her husband suggests taking her to Plattsburgh for the weekend, to which she responds, "Fancy". It's such a small moment, but the joke was purely for the North Country residents, (as none of us in Plattsburgh refer to Plattsburgh as 'fancy') and the entire theater laughed out loud. I believe this show doesn't single any of the residents out to look 'bad', it merely intends to capture the spirit of the people living in the North Country, and it does an excellent job.
Overall, this story is quite serious - the subject matter is gritty no matter how you slice it. However there are moments of levity that are unexpected in a prison show, but are very much appreciated. One way that this is accomplished is with the fantastic musical score. One of my favorite moments was a montage of prisoners working at sewing machines, while LunchMoney Lewis' 'Bills' played over the scene, a great nod to the fact that the prisoners are essentially slave labor. This is a serious show that is likely going to get pretty dark once the prisoners escape, but there are also (at least, in the first episode) moments of subtle humor that will pleasantly surprise you, without detracting from the experience at all. This is a show that you'll definitely enjoy watching, and then keep talking about it after it airs. Finally seeing this show after living through both the real-life events, and all of the buzz surrounding the filming is very satisfying. Ben Stiller has done an excellent job with Escape at Dannemora, and I'm very excited to see what he has for us next.
The lead ensemble is excellent. Paul Dano as David Sweat is conflicted. He almost seems like he's really trying to be a "good" person, but what kind of guidance and support can he expect from his peers in the prison system? Richard Matt is calculating, you can tell he could go off the handle at any second. Patricia Arquette as Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell is absolutely perfect in her role as a middle aged woman unhappy with her marriage and becoming smitten with the idea of escaping to someone that she thinks will bring her more happiness. I wanted to say that she stole the show, but Paul Dano and Benicio Del Toro are just as great - there really are no weaknesses at all. I should also comment that the last two things that I saw Benicio Del Toro in were Avengers: Infinity War, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Both of those films saw Del Toro playing characters that were strange, very quirky. After those two (also enjoyable) films, it was fantastic to see him take this role and make a convicted murderer relatable on a human level, it was a joy to watch on screen. Paul Dano's David Sweat is a character that interests me because even though I live in Plattsburgh, David Sweat is the person that I heard least about in all of the press coverage when these events were actually happening. We all knew about Joyce Mitchell, and of course how things end with Matt, but I don't think David Sweat was personified nearly as much in the media, so I'm extremely excited to see how his story arc plays out. It's even more intriguing because director Ben Stiller was able to contact the real David Sweat in prison, giving this production a very real air of authenticity.
Continuing on with authenticity, it is extremely important to note that extreme efforts were made to replicate what really happened. This show was shot on location. The shots of Dannemora, the prison, Malone, Plattsburgh, even the manhole that the prisoners escaped to, are all the actual locations. Yes, the prison walls really do tower above the rest of the town, as shown in one of the opening establishing drone shots. Governor Cuomo was involved in shooting, as well as many locals who experienced these events first-hand. There were open casting calls in Plattsburgh for extras - hundreds of people showed up, and every single person got an audition. Not everyone was cast, but no one was turned away from an audition. Many of the people in this show really do live here. One excellent scene showed Tilly Mitchell and her husband discussing their weekend plans in the car. Her husband suggests taking her to Plattsburgh for the weekend, to which she responds, "Fancy". It's such a small moment, but the joke was purely for the North Country residents, (as none of us in Plattsburgh refer to Plattsburgh as 'fancy') and the entire theater laughed out loud. I believe this show doesn't single any of the residents out to look 'bad', it merely intends to capture the spirit of the people living in the North Country, and it does an excellent job.
Overall, this story is quite serious - the subject matter is gritty no matter how you slice it. However there are moments of levity that are unexpected in a prison show, but are very much appreciated. One way that this is accomplished is with the fantastic musical score. One of my favorite moments was a montage of prisoners working at sewing machines, while LunchMoney Lewis' 'Bills' played over the scene, a great nod to the fact that the prisoners are essentially slave labor. This is a serious show that is likely going to get pretty dark once the prisoners escape, but there are also (at least, in the first episode) moments of subtle humor that will pleasantly surprise you, without detracting from the experience at all. This is a show that you'll definitely enjoy watching, and then keep talking about it after it airs. Finally seeing this show after living through both the real-life events, and all of the buzz surrounding the filming is very satisfying. Ben Stiller has done an excellent job with Escape at Dannemora, and I'm very excited to see what he has for us next.