Escape Room (2019)

I want to play a game. A game where you have to sit through a boring movie that has no scares, no suspense, and no plot. Congratulations! You're watching the new movie “Escape Room”. Lucky you! But seriously, this movie isn't bad, it's just dumb.

“Escape Room” is one of those movies where it has a great concept, but a rather poor execution. Directed by Adam Robitel of “Insidious: The Last Key”, and starring Deborah Ann Woll, Taylor Russell, Tyler Labine, Logan Miller, Nik Dodani and Jay Ellis, the film tries its hardest to replicate an actual escape room, but fails in doing so. Everything feels like a PG-13 version of “Saw”, and- wait, this is a PG-13 version of “Saw”! Only more boring.

While some of the traps are pretty clever, the whole production just feels like it could have been handled better under better writers. And considering the writers for this production mainly work in television, it's pretty clear that this movie's story is the main issue here.

“Escape Room” is clever, but not clever enough.

The story focuses on six individuals: Zoey (Russell), Ben (Miller), Jason (Ellis), Danny (Dodani), Amanda (Ann Woll), and Mike (Labine). They all come to this large building to play in an escape room: a booby-trapped room where you must solve puzzles in order to get out. However, the group realizes that this is no ordinary escape room, the traps are purposefully designed to torture them. Now, its a race to survive and find a way out.

You read that plot synopsis up there? Doesn't it remind you of “Saw”? Well, that's what this movie is basically trying to emulate, but instead of torture, this movie offers up logical thinking. Yay...

“Escape Room” is a dumb and pointless production that's trying to be something that it isn't. And that's the major problem with the film in general.

The whole concept sounds interesting enough, but you have to keep the viewer invested. Instead, the movie just bores you know throughout its nearly two hour run time. The pacing is very slow, it makes the movie uninteresting to watch. Also, the characters presented here are very unlikable, and really don't offer support from the audience. Plus, the logic in this movie doesn't make any sense at all. It feels like whoever made this movie threw logic out the window.

And, the movie has the audience asking more questions and not getting the answers they want. Which of course leads to one of the stupidest endings imaginable. The film tries very hard to conclude, but it pulls a curve by throwing a setup for a potential sequel. What a cheap way to conclude your movie.

Finally, a better choice in song selection on the soundtrack would have been a nice listen to. Instead, we get generic popular tunes that really don't serve any purpose in the movie.

If there is one good thing that can be said out of the entire production is that traps themselves are pretty clever, and are designed well. The rooms presented in the film are clever enough, that they could be considered legitimate escape rooms. Just not as torturous.

But as it is, “Escape Room” is a failed attempt that really has no real solution. Especially with that ending.