Escape from L.A. (1996): cast, story & where to watch
1996 · Film · ★ 5.9
Released in 1996, Escape from L.A. is an action, thriller, adventure and science fiction film directed by John Carpenter, running about 97 minutes. “Snake is back.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. This time, a cataclysmic temblor hits Los Angeles, turning it into an island. The president views the quake as a sign from above, expels Los Angeles from the country and makes it a penal colony for those found guilty of moral crimes. When his daughter, part of a resistance movement, steals the control unit for a doomsday weapon, Snake again gets tapped to save the day.
Who’s in it. Escape from L.A. stars Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken, Stacy Keach as Malloy, Steve Buscemi as Eddie and A.J. Langer as Utopia, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 5.9/10, Escape from L.A. has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $42.3M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential and Paramount+ Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Escape from L.A. page.
If you liked it. Fans of Escape from L.A. tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Escape from L.A. (1996)?
- In US, Escape from L.A. is available to stream on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium and Paramount Plus Essential, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Escape from L.A. worth watching?
- Escape from L.A. holds an audience score of 5.9 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy action, thriller, adventure and science fiction. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Escape from L.A.?
- Escape from L.A. stars Kurt Russell, Stacy Keach, Steve Buscemi, A.J. Langer and Bruce Campbell.
- When was Escape from L.A. released?
- Escape from L.A. was released in 1996, with a runtime of about 97 minutes.