Escape Room (2019)

I think this is about the third escape room based horror movie I've seen, and I'm **preeeeeeetty sure** it's the best one?

_Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole._

Full review: <a>https://www.tinakakadelis.com/beyond-the-cinerama-dome/2021/12/28/out-of-the-box-escape-roomnbspreview<a>

_Escape Room_ is a horror-movie take on the puzzle-solving fun of escape rooms currently sweeping the United States. Granted, the popular real-life escape rooms do not have an added element of death, but _Escape Room_ the movie does not shy away from quite a few grisly murders.

This is really about some amazingly inventive visuals as we follow some well-deserving egotists and miscreants who find themselves caught up in lethal, industrial scale, version of the "Adventure Game". They've been lured by the prospect of winning quite a measly $10k, so we ought not to be surprised by the quality of entrant for this adventure as they must pit their collective wits against a designer from hell. The whole point of the game, though, is that they do have a chance, if they can think quickly enough on their feet and/or play pool upside down. It might well work fine as a video game, but as a feature on screen it's really a lame collection of acting talent delivering increasingly hysterical dialogue in an environment for which I was heartily cheering from the moment I met "Ben" (Logan Miller), "Zoey" (Taylor Russell) and the rest of a gang of people for whom over-confidence is the order of the day. It does look good and it's decently paced with an agreeable degree of jeopardy, but from my perspective any survivor was going to be one too many, so any result other than that was merely going to disappoint and/or scream sequel at us.

Escape Room (2019) kicks off with an intriguing premise that instantly hooks you. The movie thrives on its creative and visually impressive room designs, with each puzzle adding layers of tension and suspense. It’s fast-paced and keeps you entertained throughout, making it an enjoyable watch for fans of thrillers and puzzle-based challenges. However, the emotional connection with the characters feels thin, which slightly dampens the impact of the stakes. You’ll root for their survival but probably won’t remember much about them once the credits roll.

The ending, while tying into the sequel, leaves you with a sense of incompleteness, an all-too-common trend in franchise filmmaking that can feel tiresome. Sometimes, you just want a self-contained story that offers closure without setting up the next installment. That said, the movie is still fun for what it is, especially if you’re not expecting deep storytelling. It’s a visually engaging, suspenseful ride that’s worth watching, even if it doesn’t leave a lasting emotional impression

Escape Room (originally The Maze) was filmed in South Africa and released in 2019, but its screening in Poland was delayed due to a tragic real-life escape room fire. The film taps into the escape room craze with creative challenges and delivers solid suspense.

The story opens with a gripping climax scene before rewinding to reveal character backgrounds—mainly Zoey, Ben, and Jason—and the mysterious escape room’s origins. The main tension arises from how characters reveal their true selves under pressure, with internal and external conflicts tied to their pasts.

The ending shows clear character growth and explains the deadly game while teasing a sequel. Strong visuals, effective camerawork, and fitting sound design deepen the suspense. Supported by solid acting, Escape Room is an engaging thriller worth watching.

Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com) and (English version : uwiepuspita.com)