“It’s an edge of your seat type of film where you just don’t know where it’s going to go. And that was really appealing, just how unpredictable it was, but also just how character-driven it was.”
Jordan Claire Robbins plays Sam in Escape the Field, a horror-thriller that follows six strangers who wake up in a cornfield with no recollection of how they arrived there, a few items that prove to be more than meets the eye, and a will to survive while being hunted by an unknown evil. Alongside Robbins in the cast are Theo Rossi, Shane West, Tahirah Sharif, Julian Feder, and Elena Juatco. Emerson Moore directs the film and co-wrote it with Sean Wathen and Joshua Dobkin.
Escape the Field is a Lionsgate production. It’s available as of May 6, 2022, in Select Theaters, On Digital, and On-Demand.
As the characters in the film try to escape the cornfield, the movie does an excellent job of escaping genre tropes and instead, focuses on telling the story through its characters. “It wasn’t that jump scare, kind of one-dimensional type of film that you often see. It was very much about these relationships and learning to trust and overcome your fears, and things that might hold you back. It was way more about relationships than most movies and scripts that I’d seen that were of this genre.”
Jordan Claire Robbins ‘Jumped’ at the Opportunity
Robbins brings depth to her character. She noted that she studied and developed an understanding of her nuances to the necessary extents required to portray reactions in survival mode.
“Sam is a trauma surgeon and understanding her life, leading up to this point, that’s so important and crucial in understanding how we would react in the situation… as a trauma surgeon, you’re delegating in life-or-death situations, you’re thinking on your feet, you’re used to controlling your emotions so that you can help people. Sam’s also a lonely person. She’s lost her parents, she doesn’t really make time for friends… I found that really interesting, somebody who’s got this amazing skill set that’s perfect for this kind of scenario, but also isn’t used to connecting with people on an emotional level, being dropped in a scenario where she has to blend the two in order to survive.”
Given the context, you wouldn’t expect to hear Robbins joined the film late in the game. “They had the cast, the whole group, and then something fell through with the lead actress. And then I got a call and literally jumped in like a week or two before filming. So that was kind of a fun way to jump into it.” Explained Robbins, though not for a lack of preparation. Robbins added that she put many hours into research.
On Working with Theo Rossi and Shane West
Rossi plays Tyler in Escape the Field, a father from Texas who is the first to encounter Robbins’ character. They're unsure of each other at first, but over time build trust as they depend on one another for survival. “I love working with Theo. He’s such an actor’s actor. He’s caring, he’s passionate, and he gives so much heart to his performances. You can tell he truly invests in the art of it. He’s available to rehearse and to talk about the characters, and to really unpack each of the scenes and allow for that closeness that develops in the film.”
Alongside Rossi, West’s character Ryan develops a bond with Robbins’; one that, perhaps, gives the greatest indication of who put them in the field.
“Shane is phenomenal. It’s crazy because anytime I’d have an emotional scene, I’m like, ‘Okay, can I just go over in a corner and have some time to myself and listen to my sad songs?’ And he’s just like joking around and then goes on and there are the tears! It was cool to see… he’s just so visceral, and he’s got such a deep connection to the character that he’s able to connect to really quickly."
Will There be an Escape the Field 2?
At the beginning of the movie, a few of the characters take guesses as to who put them in the field and why they’re unable to recollect how they got there. “I think the film sort of leaves you with more questions than answers, and I think that’s what’s interesting about it… It’s one of those things where you’re trying to figure that out along with the characters… there are a couple of suggestions that are made throughout, whether it’s some social experiment, or the governments involved… [what is certain is] this has been going on for a long time. This is not some random thing. This is very controlled. This is very intentional. And then once you start to realize that, not only does it become way darker and creepier, but it also becomes more exciting as Sam because there’s actually something that can be solved.”
That’s something we may get to see in other movies as Robbins added, “I know that there are plans to hopefully do a couple more films.” She continued, “I would love to return as Sam. It’s a great character, and I think that where they want to go with it, from what I know, is really fun and smart.”