Escape from Hell

A recent poll shows that 35% of Americans ¹ do not believe in Hell. Certainly death would seem more welcome to most if we simply cease to exist, or better yet we all go to heaven. With near-death experiences en vogue and a pervading relativistic worldview in our society, “Escape From Hell” comes at an opportune time.

Opportune because the video’s creator, award-winning DRC Productions of “The Gathering” and “Final Exit”, doesn’t conform to hip ideology. Instead, “Escape…” brings us the story of one Dr. Eric Robinson who experiments with life after death and finds out almost too late the truth and reality about Hell.

So what would make a normally sane and competent medical doctor kill himself when life around him doesn’t seem all that bad? His beautiful colleague Dr. Marissa Holloway has been conducting research on near-death experiences. She interviews those who have had such experiences, both children and adults, and comes up with some conclusions. One particular subject, a blind Christian woman, is of particular interest because of the scenes she is able to describe even though she cannot physically see. Marissa also observes that people react to death differently: those who know Christ seem to die peacefully, while those who don’t are often very frightened. Is this what the Bible is referring to when it says “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (I Cor. 15:55) Eric wants to be a first-hand witness of such accounts and sets in motion an elaborate plan.

Dr. Robinson is a classic skeptic. He doesn’t believe in Hell, nor is he willing to place any faith in Jesus. Science is his god. While he is close to his mother, a born-again believer in Christ, Eric believes Christianity has nothing to offer him. Perhaps the most convincing display of how Christ can change lives is seen in his father who appears to try to make amends from a past riddled by alcoholism and family abandonment. Eric’s bitterness to his father can certainly be understood, and he is unwilling to forgive his father even though he tells his son about his changed life in Christ.

Eric flatlines and finds himself journeying into eternity. He eventually ends up in a place of unspeakable torment where he comes across a former patient who was a “good man”. Now why is this churchgoing family man in Hell? that’s what “Escape From Hell” seeks to explain and does exceptionally well from a biblical perspective. It has already proved to be an effective evangelistic tool. Yet, I must be quick to point out this is not a story for children. There are some graphic scenes of hell that will definitely frighten younger viewers.

Technically, Christian retailers point out the elaborate special effects involved in “Escape…”. Certainly there are many and this film could not be what it is without them. Unfortunately, too many moviegoers today are used to big budget Hollywood-style eye candy and so may be unable to get over the lesser effects “Escape…” brings. The acting is substandard in some areas as well, and the quality of the video feels more like a daytime television show than a blockbuster film. Yet we must remember that it is the gospel being preached here, and the Bible promises that…

“It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

1. US News and World Report, January 31, 2000