Before Severance, Ben Stiller Made This 91%-Rated TV Crime Thriller Based on a Wild Real Story
Seven years ago, Ben Stiller proved he was more than just a comedian.
Ben Stiller's TV project Severance became the most important sci-fi series of the 2020s. Few shows have been the source of so much debate and so many fan theories.
But the actor and director's TV career began seven years ago with a crime series that few people remember today. And it's a shame, because the show has a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes and definitely deserves no less attention than Severance.
In 2018, Ben Stiller's directorial TV debut Escape at Dannemora was released – a drama about two prisoners planning an escape.
What Is Escape at Dannemora About?
Richard and David are inmates of Clinton Correctional Facility. Richard is friends with one of the guards and supplies the newcomers with whatever they need. David, in prison for killing a sheriff's deputy, calls home, complaining to his family that he fears for his life.
Both prisoners, along with hundreds of others, work in a sewing workshop, and an older woman named Tilly takes care of them. Later, the woman begins an affair with David.
Meanwhile, Richard comes up with a daring idea, but to carry out his plan, he must find accomplices. Soon the fates of this strange trio will intertwine.
Escape at Dannemora Is Based on a Real Escape Story
The series is based on a true story that happened in 2015: convicted felons Richard Matt and David Sweat escaped with the help of Joyce Mitchell. The woman worked in the sewing workshop and became close to both men.
The complicated love triangle and the fact that they escaped from a seemingly secure prison sparked an active discussion about the system's shortcomings and the widespread practice of staff having relationships with inmates.
Ben Stiller's Show Has Everything Fans of the Escape Genre Love So Much
Escape from Dannemora is one of the best escape series where suspense meets absurdity. It has everything viewers love in an escape story: a well-thought-out plan, dangerous nighttime forays, heart-pounding suspense, and most of all, betrayal you can't predict.
In the end, the series turns out to be a tragicomedy about freedom and man's need for love, where the gray scenery hints at the joylessness of each character's existence.
Escape at Dannemora Has a Truly Brilliant Cast
If you are still hesitating whether to watch Escape at Dannemora, then you should pay attention to the main cast.
The role of David is played by Paul Dano, who has become one of the most important actors and directors of his generation. And, yes, this is the same priest from There Will Be Blood.
The role of Richard went to Benicio del Toro, the charismatic actor who starred in many cult crime dramas, and won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Traffic.
And Tilly will definitely be recognized by those who watch Severance – she was portrayed by Patricia Arquette, the same Mrs. Selvig from Ben Stiller's series.