Country: USA
Movie Review: Randy Moore’s writing and directorial debut, “Escape From Tomorrow”, depicts a family’s troubled last vacation day in Florida’s Walt Disney World Resort, filled with strange adventures and presented in capricious, dreamy tones. Jim’s day starts in a lousy manner. He was fired with no reason by phone, got stuck in hotel’s balcony, and his overwhelming wife seems to drive them into a despairing marital crisis. Among acting childish, having weird thoughts, and showing paranoid behaviors, that day would become a tempting trip to Jim, since he spent most of the day following two French young teenagers, but ended up in bed with a weird woman who revealed to be a witch. Instead having a great time in family, Jim will spent the day as in a nightmare composed by intense witchcraft, futuristic scenarios, and sickness. Some creativity has to be recognized here but that doesn’t mean that every move has been achieved properly, especially after the film falls into a sci-fi thriller, losing some of the initial direction. The super-contrasting black and white photography was well chosen to reinforce the intended dreamlike atmosphere, while the mix of tension and humor worked fine in several occasions. Roy Abramsohn had a good performance as Jim, a curious character who, in my eyes, could have been even better availed. More visually attractive than intellectually challenging or funny, “Escape From Tomorrow”, still can provide some entertainment through its fantasies and ghastly dreams.
