Netflix just quietly added one of the best prison dramas of all time-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro

Don’t let this Netflix and Paramount Plus drama fly under your radar(Picture: Christopher Saunders/Showtime)

Netflix in the US has added a drama based on a real-life prison break in New York that spawned a statewide manhunt.

Escape at Dannemora recounts the stranger-than-fiction tale of two convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat, 44, who broke out of a jail in Dannemora, near the Canadian border, in 2015.

The two killers had become romantically involved with corrections officer Joyce Mitchell, who helped them escape by providing tools including hacksaw blades she had smuggled inside.

Directed by Hollywood star Ben Stiller, Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano played Matt and Sweat respectively, while Patricia Arquette won a Golden Globe for her performance as Mitchell in the 2018 mini-series.

Escape at Dannemora was made available to stream on Netflix yesterday and can be watched on Paramount Plus in the UK.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the seven-parter has a score of 88% on reviews aggregator the Tomatometer.

Patricia won a Golden Globe for her performance as Mitchell in the show (Picture: Christopher Saunders/Showtime)

Lorna Codrai for the Film Inquiry wrote: ‘Escape at Dannemora is a marvellous prison drama that requires patience and commitment, and features magnificent performances from three of the best actors working today.’

In Vulture, Kenny Herzog said: ‘We’re all just innocent bystanders to this unraveling, sensational crime and its aftermath, and perhaps we’ll be left to ask ourselves whether getting too comfortable in any routine makes us vulnerable and dull.’

Laura Bogart in AV Club commented: ‘Escape At Dannemora could easily package itself as a stylish, well-pedigreed action tale and still be wildly entertaining — and it’s to the credit of [the filmmakers and actors] that it mines deeper, and more subtle terrain.’

On X, viewers were similarly giving Escape at Dannemora rapturous praise with @mikey33nyc saying: ‘Such a great series. Those three are all incredible in it. I still think about Patricia’s performance.’

Sweat (L) and Matt were both serving time in prison for murders (Picture: New York State Police via Getty Images)

Sweat was captured after a manhunt while Matt was shot dead by officers (Picture: AP)

Mitchell was sentenced for helping Matt and Sweat escape from prison (Picture: G.N. Miller – Pool/Getty Images)

Echoing their sentiment, @MRoscus enthused: ‘One of my favorites! So well told and acted.’

@mrdewed commented: ‘Patricia’s performance changed my outlook on life.’

@imPatrickT added: ‘One of the best mini-series ever made. I’ve revisited it many times and I’m always blown away.’

Matt and Sweat, who were both serving time in Clinton Correctional Facility, had hatched an elaborate plan to escape prison which involved seducing Mitchell.

Using materials she had smuggled inside, they made a tunnel out of their cell to an ‘external breach’ outside of the prison’s wall.

Benicio and Paul play Matt and Sweat in Escape at Dannemora (Picture: Wilson Webb/Showtime)

On June 26, 2015, after twenty days on the run and a day after his 49th birthday, Matt fired at a camping trailer driving on the road in an unsuccessful attempt to kill the driver and steal the vehicle.

After the driver called the police, officers went to a heavily wooded area where they encountered Matt carrying a shotgun and when he refused to drop it, he was shot and killed.

Sweat was caught two days later and was also shot when he attempted to flee officers but survived the wound. He was sentenced to an additional seven to 14 years in prison for absconding and ordered to pay more than $79,000 (£61,000).

Mitchell was sentenced to between two and eight years for helping Matt and Sweat bust out of prison and ordered to pay $80,000 (£62,000) in restitution for damages incurred in the escape. She was released in 2020 after five years.

Escape at Dannemora is available to stream on Netflix in the US and Paramount Plus in the UK.

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