'Escape at Dannemora': Authentic portrayal of life behind bars assured Ben Stiller a hit prison drama
With just a few days to go for the seventh and final episode of Showtime's 'Escape at Dannemora,' it is no secret that this dark, riveting tale coming from Ben Stiller has been captivating, to say the least. And that is noteworthy because, without any brutal action or violence depicted until the latest sixth episode, the show has already changed the game for on-screen adaptations of true crime stories. Often, with prison dramas, there's a risk of straying away from the reality, or sensationalizing the violent aspects - which also leads to the plot somehow dissolving into the background; but not with Stiller's adaptation of the infamous real-life prison break of inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat, from Clinton Correctional Facility, New York, in 2015. Stiller managed to keep the intrigue of the show alive by infusing basic details about what seems to be day-to-day prison life - the prioners' hacks and their ways - et al, thus striking a balance and also putting up a unique side to the story.