If you've been looking for a crime drama on real-life prison breaks, don't miss out on watching Ben Stiller's Escape at Dannemora. The limited series has arrived on Netflix and follows the story of two convicts breaking out of a U.S. jail after weeks of preparation in making tunnels and breaking walls.
The 2018 crime drama Escape at Dannemora is based on the true story of prisoners Richard Matt and David Sweat, who escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in New York in 2015. This prison break resulted in a three-week manhunt costing around $23 million.
What makes this crime story featured in Escape at Dannemora even more complex is that one of the female prison workers, Joyce Mitchell, initiated a s*xual relationship with the men and helped them break out. Her involvement was discovered after the two convicts escaped from the tunnel they made using tools and essentials provided by Mitchell. Read more to explore the entire prison break story.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Escape at Dannemora Reader discretion is advised.
Exploring the true story that inspired the Showtime crime drama Escape at Dannemora
Crime drama lovers must pay attention! If you haven't watched a series that follows an insane story of two murderers escaping prison, then Escape at Dannemora has got you covered. The showtime crime series debuted in 2018 and has found another life at Netflix.
As mentioned above, Escape at Dannemora focuses on prisoners Richard Matt (played by Benicio del Toro) and David Sweat's (played by Paul Dano) cunning plan to break out of prison by emotionally manipulating and having a se*xual relationship with Joyce Mitchell (played by Patricia Arquette), a former prison worker at the Clinton Correctional Facility in New York.
It took almost six months to plan their prison break, as Matt and Sweat spent countless nights crafting a tunnel to escape, shocking the nation with one of the most daring prison breaks. Richard Matt had spent most of his life in prison, thanks to his criminal history. At the same time, Davi Sweat was less experienced than Matt but highly intelligent in planning robberies with detailed blueprints.
As the two were locked up in the same prison, they often met at the prison's tailor shop and developed a strong friendship, as highlighted in Escape at Dannemora.
The two became close friends and shared a similar desire to break out. However, to initiate the plan, Matt and Sweat needed someone other than prisons who could provide them with the essentials to create tunnels and fool the security guards.
Richard Matt and David Sweat received help and love from Joyce Mitchell in Escape at Dannemora
The real-life prison break in 2015 wouldn't have been possible if Joyce Mitchell hadn't fallen for Matt and Sweat's manipulation and deception. Although she was married, her husband was also a prison worker. Despite that, she didn't hesitate to get into a love triangle.
Escape at Dannemora highlights the corruption within the system, as it wasn't just Mitchell but also Gene Palmer (played by David Morse), a corrections officer whose negligence. At the same time, Matt was smuggling tools into the prison, which contributed to the escape plan.
Joyce Mitchell initiated a romantic relationship with David Sweat, who started asking her for gifts to help him in the tunnel. She then got into a s*xual relationship with Richard Matt in April 2015 and supplied them with everything they wanted. The real-life Mitchell told NBC:
"I helped Matt and Sweat because I was caught up in the fantasy. I enjoyed the attention, the feeling both of them gave me, and the thought of a different life."
When Joyce Mitchell realized it wasn't love but the dangerous escape plan, she had already supplied the two convicts with concrete drill bits, chisels, screwdrivers, and other tools. Matt and Sweat even created lifelike dummies using tools and clothing, and they had to fool the security guards during night checks.
As a result, Mitchell and Palmer had to face the repercussions of misusing their job roles. While Joyce Mitchell was sentenced to two to seven years in prison, Gene Palmer was only sentenced to a few months. He worked at the Clinton Correctional Facility for over two decades, and his corruption didn't affect his job.
The capture and consequences of the 2015 prison break featured in Escape at Dannemora
Within three weeks of the prison break, law enforcement was able to track down Richard Matt and David Sweat. The police noticed some activity in a cabin where they suspected the smell of gunpowder.
They were joined by the Customs and Border Protection teams with helicopters in search of Richard Matt, who was found with a shotgun. The police asked him to surrender, but Matt didn't cooperate. As a result, the border control officers had to open fire, which caused Matt's immediate death.
David Sweat was still out, but only for two more days. He was caught by the police while jogging during a rainstorm. Sweat concocted a new plan after he was sent back to prison and shared it with some correctional officers. Sweat hoped for help from the officers but was instead moved to another prison.
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Escape at Dannemora is on Netflix.
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