"Escape from New York" is a 1981 science fiction film directed by John Carpenter. The story is set in a dystopian future where Manhattan has been turned into a maximum-security prison. The U.S. government has walled off the island, and it is inhabited by dangerous criminals. The plot follows Snake Plissken, played by Kurt Russell, a former special forces soldier who is tasked with rescuing the President of the United States after his plane crashes in the prison. Plissken must navigate the chaotic and lawless environment of New York City to complete his mission and save the President.