Escape from New York is a 1981 sci-fi action film directed by John Carpenter, set in a dystopian future where Manhattan has become a giant maximum-security prison. Kurt Russell stars as Snake Plissken, a hardened antihero sent to rescue the U.S. president from the city’s violent chaos. With its gritty atmosphere, synth-driven score, and rebellious tone, Escape from New York became a cult classic of ’80s cinema.