--- title: "Escape from New York: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/escape-from-new-york/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/escape-from-new-york" critics_score: 77 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Escape from New York (1981): what the critics said Critics' score 77 from 11 reviews: 8 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like Escape from New York, and the lean is clearly positive: eight of eleven reviews are favourable and none is hostile. The praise clusters around Kurt Russell’s Snake Plissken, whom several critics call the film’s focal point, and around the ruined New York itself: the production design, the night photography and the synth score come up again and again. Later reviewers find its vision of a broken police state has aged into something close to prophecy, and treat the politics as the main interest. The reservations are about execution, not the idea. Radio Times and Variety both think the premise outruns what Carpenter does with it, with scenes that miss the drama they set up. Den of Geek flags dated handling of gender and race while still recommending it. The spread is narrow, from lukewarm to warm; the lowest scores come from critics who still find it watchable, and nobody argues it is a bad film, only a rougher one than its reputation suggests. ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Freer calls the film highly entertaining and praises its cool, effective sci-fi setup. He singles out Kurt Russell’s Snake Plissken as the standout, with an unusually compelling mix of anger, coolness and wit. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/escape-new-york-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 3.5/4. 16 December 2003. Gonzalez finds the film’s politics strikingly immediate and its analog-minded subversion resonant. He singles out Snake’s final act and the cassette as a potent expression of analog bringing opposing nations together. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/escape-from-new-york/) ## The Guardian — Phil Hoad Rating ★★★★☆. 25 October 2018. Hoad considers Escape from New York close to Carpenter’s peak, with Snake Plissken giving it a strong focal point. He praises the film’s ramshackle analogue of crime-ridden 1970s New York and its broad, self-aware social satire. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/oct/25/john-carpenter-in-4k-reviews) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Arthur Knight Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 June 1981. Knight gives the film a strongly positive verdict, praising its intriguing premise, effective cast and expert execution. He especially singles out the convincing future-New York setting and its striking production design and photography. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/escape-new-york-review-1981-movie-1019624/) ## Little White Lies — Anton Bitel Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). Bitel views the film as an eerily prescient dystopian thriller that remains compelling. He singles out its bleak vision of a broken police state and its anarchic final gesture. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/home-ents/escape-from-new-york-blu-ray-review) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1980. The review calls the film a solidly satisfying actioner, though its execution falls short of its premise. It praises the imaginative, fun special-effects work while faulting some scenes for not reaching their dramatic potential. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1980/film/reviews/escape-from-new-york-1200424998/) ## Time Out — TM Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It contains no review text from which to identify what the critic praises or criticizes. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/escape-from-new-york) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 3/5. Jones finds the film entertaining but says it never delivers on its ingenuity. He praises the marvellous night-time opening sequence. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-p746jk/escape-from-new-york/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the restoration invigorating and calls the film a definitive action classic. They single out its atmospheric dystopian world and Kurt Russell’s commanding performance as Snake Plissken. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/escape-from-new-york-4k-restoration-re-release-review/) ## Den of Geek — Lou Thomas Rating 4/5. 20 November 2018. Thomas finds the film remarkably effective and immersive despite dated gender and racial aspects. He particularly praises its atmospheric production design and pulsing synth score. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/escape-from-new-york-4k-review-atmospheric-and-immersive/) ## Eye for Film — Max Blinkhorn Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 14 March 2005. Blinkhorn finds the film undeniably watchable and sees it as a cult classic despite its roughness. He singles out the memorable, quirky performances, especially Isaac Hayes as the Duke of New York. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/escape-from-new-york-film-review-by-max-blinkhorn) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/escape-from-new-york.md