I had anticipation for Escape after watching the previews, but ultimately it fell short of what I’d hoped for. There are positives to be found, including some solid action sequences and well-developed characters. The two lead roles—a soldier attempting to cross over into South Korea and the North Korean officer tracking him—are portrayed effectively and possess an inherent appeal. However, Escape doesn't manage to coalesce everything successfully. It frequently creates and then releases suspense throughout its runtime, which results in a jarring feel and moments that seem somewhat redundant. Separately, there’s also what I consider to be a predictable inclusion of progressive messaging, awkwardly inserted to emphasize the North Korean government’s perceived lack of acceptance regarding diverse sexual orientations. While it's not something that greatly concerns me personally, the constant political commentary becomes wearisome. It’s possible to suggest that showing respect for different, non-Western cultural standards could be seen as a form of tolerance, but regardless...... Overall, it’s an acceptable action movie that had the potential to be considerably more entertaining if it possessed a script with greater clarity and direction.

Source on TMDB