Contains moments that can stand alongside the best of the Tarantino oeuvre but the overlong running time and general unevenness prevent it from achieving greatness.

The late comedian Chris Farley is magnetic and charismatic throughout but most of the rest of the film is simply wretched.

Uses a combination of guerilla footage and interviews to create a vivid portrait of what it means to live inside and attempt to escape from North Korea – all without resorting to recreations and/or re-enactments.

Has all the serpentine curves one expects from a well-executed caper/heist film but avoids any turns that are so over-the-top that they tip the whole thing into self-parody.

Most everything about Strangeland, from the writing to the acting to the camerawork to the editing, is Grade Z in quality – not just uncomfortable and off-putting but downright incompetent.

A cheesy curiosity upon its release, it has become a valuable historical record because of the lasting cultural impact of its central figure.