Common Sense Media Review
By Jose Solis
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Complex true crime docu features strong language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Jailbreak: Love on the Run
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In the documentary JAILBREAK: LOVE ON THE RUN, Vicky White, the assistant director at a county jail in Alabama, helps the convicted Casey White escape prison so they can create a future together. Combining elements of thriller, documentary, and romance, the film explores their connection through a series of archival calls and interviews as the pair tried to defy the law and society in search of their happy ending.
Is It Any Good?
This is not a typical documentary. There's a surreal moment near the beginning of Dan Abrams' strange romance tale when you realize you might be rooting for people who put their love above the law and have endangered themselves and many around them. That is the odd beauty of Jailbreak: Love on the Run, a compassionate look at the romantic relationship between a corrections officer and a man awaiting trial in a murder case.
The film takes far enough distance as a documentary to observe their story through witnesses and archival calls, earning it an objectivity badge. But there is such compassion and humanity in the way the story is told that there never feels like there is a moral judgment on the characters, despite their infractions and the tragic ending it led them to. Younger viewers might need some guidance in understanding the moral complexities of the case before them, but they're unlikely to find the film entertaining enough to keep their attention.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Vicky shows loyalty and compassion in her unique situation. What do you think about the way she acted?
What role do you think the media played in telling the story of Vicky and Casey?
Although the film doesn't show graphic depictions of violence and drug/alcohol use, people interviewed talk about them. How did this make you feel?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 25, 2024
- Cast : Joy Behar , Vicky White , Casey White , Mike Blakely
- Director : Dan Abrams
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Character Strengths : Compassion
- Run time : 87 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : November 1, 2024
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