Parents Jim (Roy Abramson) and Emily (Elena Schuber) and their children, Sara and Elliot (Katelynn Rodriguez and Jack Dalton) appear to be laboring to enjoy their last day on their Florida vacation. At the beginning of the film, it is implied in the dialogue that their trip, up to that point, has not been the best, especially with the added news that Jim has been told he has been fired over the phone. The “just the messenger” person who delivers the news over the phone to Jim makes sure to give Jim some advice about what attractions to see while on vacation. I believe that there is definitely an anti-corporate subtext in the film, though, other than this scene in which we learn of Jim’s job loss, we can only infer from the use of Disney as the backdrop for all amounts of seediness and unhappiness that this is true. As their last day of vacation proceeds, the family continues to encounter strange goings-on, especially the father. Jim is exposed the most to this Disney nightmare. The character of the father is also the least likable. He does not appear to be very bright, is foolish in his decision-making, and, throughout the course of the film, is subject to temptation of the alcoholic and female variety. The screenplay makes it clear that Jim and Emily’s marriage is not at all on good footing, however, it is a bit weak to introduce this fact at all into the film as it does not do anything to add to the terror that one anticipates. The health of their marriage should be a non-factor in a horror film about macabre things going on at a Disney park. It simply gives Jim the opportunity to follow around a pair of French girls and hook up with an otherworldly older woman. Are these female characters part of the weirdness of the situation in which Jim finds himself? Probably, but they lessen the tension of the film. As mentioned, the lack of sympathy generated by the character of Jim does not help either. The wife, Emily, is painted as an unhappy shrew, however, she probably has reason to be unhappy. The father’s boorishness is unnecessary as this particular character does not have to be such an ass in order for the film to convey what it wants to convey. It takes “Escape From Tomorrow” a very long time to become weird. The first hour depicts how the family is unhappy, the father is an oaf, and the mother is unhappy, mostly because her husband is an oaf. They do see strange things going on around them during the first hour, but not enough. Of course, I must remind myself that this was probably a very low-budget film so the filmmakers did what they could given their circumstances. Still, though, some of the first hour could probably have been cut to make the film a bit tighter and more suspenseful. More than halfway through the film, we meet “The Scientist,”(Stass Klassen) who is German (groan). Not all scientists in movies have to be German, but this one is, just so we know he is a scientist…oh, yeah, a mad scientist (yawn). It is in “The Scientist’s” underground lab that the fun of the film starts and the craziness begins. I would have liked to have seen more of “The Scientist” and his machinations, however, he comes and goes fairly quickly. Klassen appears to be the most seasoned actor in the film. “Escape From Tomorrow” is best thought of as a collection of bizarre images that undermine the manufactured “fun” of Disney and how families put themselves through the experience of going to such parks even though such experiences, for the parents, may represent a growing bitterness over one’s life and where they are in their lives. It appears that, according to the film……again that’s ACCORDING TO THE FILM…..going on a trip to Disneyworld or Disneyland with one’s family is equivalent to “giving up” in life. You have kids, are stuck with a spouse you may have grown to dislike, and dealing with all the crying, whining, long lines, etc. only adds more to that burden. Again, that is what the theme of the film appears to be. An underlying hatred of Disney and how it represents the angst of people in such situations is obviously at work in the film. The film drags a bit during the first hour, but it does pick up in the final thirty minutes thanks to an increased amount of strangeness that inhabits this portion of the film. It is worth a viewing simply because of the oddity that it is in addition to the fact that it does contain a nice amount of creepiness and can be unsettling at times. To think of Disneyland or Epcot as a cover for a den of bizarre, creepy, dastardly things is a fascinating idea. To the film’s credit, given its low budget and the nature in which a film like this had to be made, it succeeds even though I have pointed out some criticisms that might hamper a film with a higher budget. Seek it out online from iTunes or Amazon.
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