A Captivating Prison-Escape Thriller

If you’re looking for a movie that will keep you squealing and squirming in your seat, then you should buy tickets for The Next Three Days.

The movie stars Russell Crowe as John Brennan—a community college literature professor—and Elizabeth Banks as Lara Brennan—his wife.

The movie begins three years in the past with John and Lara Brennan having an average life as a married couple with a child. Their lives get flipped upside- down when Lara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for allegedly murdering her boss. Despite all the evidence pointing to Lara as guilty, John still believes in her innocence.

After her court appeal is rejected, John takes matters into his own hands. The ordinary professor becomes an escape expert, spending an intensive three months researching, planning and interviewing former prison escapee Damon Pennington (Liam Neeson). John makes an elaborate plan to get her out of jail, but complications occur when he learns that Lara will be transferred to another prison within three days.

Crowe does an amazing job as John Brennan—bringing genuine emotions to his character. The way he fidgets during tense moments, such as when he’s questioned by police, appears very natural—you’ll find yourself just as nervous as the character. Just as you’ll sometimes fear Brennan, you’ll also find yourself rooting for him when everything goes according to plan.

Overall, The Next Three Days is an amazing movie. Since Bank’s character doesn’t go much into depth, it brings Lara Brennan’s innocence into question, especially since she has a problem with her temper.

This isn’t your typical prisonbreak movie where the prisoner attempts to escape; instead, the prisoner has no clue through most of the movie that her escape was under way. The movie has an interesting take on a law-abiding outsider executing a skillful escape plan.