Actor and directorBen Stiller’s first foray into drama directing just dropped onNetflixearlier this month. TheShowtimeminiseriesEscape at Dannemorais based on a true story that became national news back in 2015 when two convicted murderers,Robert Matt and David Sweat, escaped from an upstate New York prison. It turned out that they had help from an unassuming tailor shop supervisor at the prison,Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell, and a prison guard, Gene Palmer. Created byBrett JohnsonandMichael Tolkinand initially premiering in 2017,Escape From Dannemoradepicts the events surrounding the jailbreak, as well as the aftermath, witha star-studded castthat includesPatricia Arquette(Mitchell),Benicio del Toro(Matt), andPaul Dano(Sweat).
‘Escape at Dannemora’ Explores the Twisted Love Triangle That Started it All
Escape at Dannemoraintroduces us to Tilly Mitchell, a prison tailor at Clinton Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison in upstate New York. Tilly is married to Lyle Mitchell, played byEric Lang, but is depicted in the series as being bored with her dull marriage. While overseeing the tailor shop at the prison, she meets inmates David Sweat and Richard Matt, both serving life sentences for murder. She starts giving them special treatment andeventually strikes up a relationship with each of them.
InEscape at Dannemora,these relationships are depicted as being manipulative, but in very different ways.The series shows a purely physical relationship between Tilly and Matt, but hints at a little more depth in her connection with Sweat. Paul Dano plays the role of Sweat with a certain sweetness, making it easy to see why Mitchell fell for him, even with the knowledge that he’s in prison for murder. On the other hand, del Toro’s performance as Richard Matt is much more conniving and cruel, as he views Sweat’s connection to Tilly as an opportunity for them to take advantage of her.
Eventually, Matt and Sweat realize that they can manipulate Tilly enough for her to assist them in their escape. They convince her to accompany them to Mexico, allowing her to make an escape of her own. In Episode 4, Matt smooth-talks Tilly by painting a picture of what their life will be like after they get out, including a fantasy of getting a house on the beach, allowing Tilly to go back and forth between him and Sweat. The cold, unforgiving environment of upstate New York and Tilly’s stale marriage make Matt and Sweat’s offer all the more enticing. What follows leads toone of the most talked-about prison escapesin recent history.
Ben Stiller Showcases His Drama Directing Chops in ‘Escape at Dannemora’
BeforeEscape at Dannemora,Ben Stiller was known more for his comedy acting roles in films likeZoolanderandTropic Thunder.It was surprising when it was announced thathe’d be directing this gritty, true-to-life miniseries, but after watchingEscape at Dannemora,it seems like this is what he was born to do. The show is filled withplenty of high-intensity sceneswhen Matt and Sweat are making their escape, but Stiller also does an incredible job at framing the more quiet, intimate happenings between the two characters. Even in the chaos of the prison walls, scenes between Sweat and Matt as they quietly discuss their plan, as well as more isolated encounters with Tilly and the two men, generatesome of the best instances of dramain the series.
Episode 6, one of the show’s best, is written by Johnson, Tolkin andJerry Stahland takes the audience back in time, depicting the murders that put Sweat and Matt behind bars, as well as how Tilly and Lyle first ended up together. From a story perspective, it’s a bold choice to place this episode between the ones depicting Sweat and Matt’s escape. However, it helps ground the series even more, reminding the viewer of what led to each character’s current predicament. It also humanizes the victims of the murders, depicting the day-to-day ofDeputy Kevin Tarsia(Jim Parrack) before being murdered by Sweat in 2002, as well as the events leading up to the kidnapping and death of Matt’s victim,William Rickerson(Richie Allan), in December 1997.
The last third of the episode follows Tilly, starting in August 1993, where it’s revealed that Tilly actually was having an affair with Lyle before they were married. It explains a lot more about Tilly’s psyche, which Arquette portrays beautifully. The episode is aesthetically stunning, witha very different visual palettereflected in each timeline. After spending five episodes with these three characters, it’s clear that Stiller and the writers wanted to make sure that viewers remembered why these men were in prison and honor the memory of their victims.
‘Escape at Dannemora’ Depicts the Real-Life Escape and What Followed
Inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat convince Tilly, as well as prison guard Gene Palmer, portrayed in the series byDavid Morse, to start bringing them hacksaws and other tools to make their escape. Tilly would hide the tools in frozen ground beef before handing the package off to Palmer, who would give it to the inmates.For months, Matt and Sweat used the tools to cut through the walls, tricking the prison guards who were doing nightly rounds by putting stuffed dummies in their beds. At the end of Episode 5, the men escape through a network of tunnels before exiting through a manhole cover at the end, realizing that Tilly isn’t there. Sweat doesn’t let this deter them, as he says they’re basically pioneers for doing something no one else has ever done. They decide to head towards Canada instead of Mexico, sharing a cigarette as they break out into excited laughter. They’re free… at least for now, but what plays out through the rest of the series is a testament to the cast’s individual and collective acting abilities.
Of course, like every “based on a true story” series,Escape from Dannemoratakes creative license when necessary. The team behindEscape at Dannemoradeserved the praise they received,especially Patricia Arquette, who brought a humanity to Tilly that could’ve easily veered toward a one-dimensional character. Thanks togreat writing, solid directing, and brilliant performances, this miniseries stands out as one of the best depictions of a real-life story twisted enough to get the Hollywood treatment.
Escape at Dannemorais available to stream on Netflix.
Escape At Dannemora
Watch on Netflix
