Escape from Mogadishu, the 2021 South Korean action drama blockbuster film, directed by Ryoo Seung-wan and starring Kim Yoon-seok, Jo In-sung, Heo Joon-ho and Kim So-jin is now streaming on Amazon Prime in India.
The film, based on real events, is set during the Somali Civil War and the efforts of the two koreas to be admitted to the United Nations in the late 1980s and early 1990s. When the outbreak of a civil-war in Mogadishu leaves both the South Korean and North Korean diplomats stranded, they join hands for a daring joint-escape. It depicts details of a perilous escape attempt made by North and South Korean embassy workers stranded during the conflict. A horrifying account of what it means to be stranded in a war-zone and a scary depiction of altercations of human psyches during distressful times like these.
With a production cost of 24 billion won, Escape from Mogadishu released theatrically on July 28, 2021in IMAX format. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its action scenes, humorous treatment to an otherwise serious plot, direction, and its extremely believable acting performances from the main cast. The film also faced some criticism from real-life diplomats who escaped from Mogadishu on account of the historical and factual inaccuracies throughout the film. Too much creative liberty, possibly. However, it was the second highest-grossing film of 2021 in South Korea.
Escape from Mogadishu was selected as the South Korean entry for the Best International Feature film at the 94th Academy awards, but it was not nominated. This spine-chilling and occasionally funny survival action drama is nevertheless a worthy addition to your watchlist.