escape from new york is a  american dystopian science-fiction action film co-written co-scored and directed by john carpenter the film is set in what was near-future of  in a crime-ridden united states that has converted manhattan island in new york city into the countrys maximum security prison when air force one is hijacked by terrorists and crashes into new york city ex-soldier and federal prisoner snake plissken kurt russell is given  hours to rescue the president of the united states