Escape From Mogadishu works well in its more quiet moments, and carries its message of unity amid turmoil, and the need to put down nationalist flags and identify with one another on a deeper level.

| Original Score: B | Apr 24, 2024

You can’t help but be pulled in by this exciting true account with its strong underlying message of unity. And while its ending is never in question, Ryoo steers clear of a conventional finish and leaves his audience with plenty to think about.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 16, 2022

Escape from Mogadishu breathes fresh air into the age-old story of domestic conflict.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 26, 2022

This exciting and entertaining true-life adventure offers yet more proof that Korea is producing some of the most absorbing cinematic and televisual storytelling in the world today.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Apr 27, 2022

Every camera movement is there for a reason. This is a director, not showboating, but NEEDING to tell a story visually. Every single part of the film tells the story.

| Apr 15, 2022

Much of the film’s success lies in its impeccable structure and pacing, with three clearly defined acts, each ratcheting up the tension. Many of the beats are predictable but are so well executed that one can’t help but get caught up.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 29, 2022

For the most part... this is bracingly enjoyable stuff – slickly edited, dryly humorous and shot with a bold yellow palette that somehow enhances the sense of panic.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 27, 2022

Ryu is known for action movies, and when the film heads that way, it speaks a universal language.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 27, 2022

Surprisingly thoughtful in its depiction of two ideological wars. Great car chase too.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 26, 2022

The modern zombie movie is the narrative template here, and provides the film with a rip-roaring third act...

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 25, 2022

A full-throttle action-thriller with a big heart.

| Mar 22, 2022

What makes it worth the price of a download is a muscle-clenchingly thrilling third act, finishing with an action movie car chase through war-zone chaos.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 22, 2022

If Hollywood is looking for someone to take on the next Fast & Furious movie, they might want to give Ryoo Seung-wan a call.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 18, 2022

The fact the action is never without strong emotion makes it quite irresistible. The film ought to have a seat belt warning.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 18, 2022

This beautiful film is, in every way, a memorable experience.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 17, 2022

The tempo of Escape From Mogadishu is upbeat and always moving. It's a story about survival and although that is the major focal point, director Ryu Seung-wan also reveals the never ending difficulty of diplomacy.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 1, 2022

This is the kind of film that would have a theater laughing one minute and utterly silent the next, so great does the tonal pendulum swing, and without any unnatural jarring. Instead, Ryoo's film sucks you straight into its harrowing and emotional end.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 18, 2022

Bumbling Korean diplomatic efforts to secure an important United Nations vote are suddenly replaced by a desperate fight for survival in war-torn Somalia. Based on actual events.

| Original Score: A | Jan 14, 2022

Surpassing himself with breathtaking action, bolstered by an outstanding ensemble cast, ESCAPE FROM MOGADISHU denotes a new progression in Director Ryoo Seung-wan's work, and I can't wait to see where he goes next

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Dec 31, 2021

A vivid reminder of how political thrillers can provide nail-biting entertainment while still navigating complicated narrative terrain.

| Nov 6, 2021