Escape Room (watched December 12, 2018)

While I wasn’t particularly sold on watching this film in theatre as a result of the preview, once I saw that the lovely and talented Deborah Ann Woll, who plays Amanda, was in it, I figured chances were that I would. So, when I was presented with a last minute chance to attend this VERY early screening, I jumped at it and am glad I did.

Escape Room brings ALL of the anxiety associated with the escape room challenges that have grown increasingly popular in recent years, then raises the stakes to literally deathly heights. Six strangers are brought together by calling to their individual traits and passions; but, what they don’t know is that there is an even more specific reason they, in particular, received this life or death challenge. All six individuals have very unique personalities, which leads to several tense confrontations that actually function to get the audience more interested in each one’s past. From the escape room veteran and overly excited Danny (played by Nik Dodani), to the soft spoken Zoey (played by Taylor Russell, who steals the show) and businessman Jason (played by Jay Ellis), this escape room challenge that promises $10,000 to the winner starts with a lighthearted introduction among the participants and quickly develops into a life-and-death struggle in a VERY tight timeframe.

The film does a commendable job at keeping the audience guessing. One cannot help but find him/herself working the clues out in his/her own head as if also a part of the challenge; and, the different levels that the group moves through come with an increasing sense of urgency. Early on, a lingering feeling that perhaps all of this is planned and scripted prevails; but, when the environment the participants are in changes more and more drastically with every new room, the gravity of the situation becomes crystal clear. The group can’t help but oscillate between argumentative moments of selfishness and functioning displays of teamwork. Just as one puzzle is solved, another is presented of increased intensity and cost. The rooms that the participants move through are VERY unique in nature and complicated in a beautifully constructed way. There also exists an undying desire, almost need, to find out who orchestrated this particular escape room challenge and the elaborate manner in which it all came to pass that keeps the audience interested. That’s precisely why I got a “Final Destination” meets “Saw” sort of vibe throughout the entirety of the film.

In the end, we do receive some clarity on that front; but, we’re still left with some questions and are even set up for a potential sequel at the same time. I was pleasantly surprised with this film, which runs for 1 hour and 40 minutes, yet flies by and feels even shorter than that. Escape Room gets 3.5 reps out of 5 from me for the ingenuity displayed in the construction of each room and the endearing quality of not only the participants but also their growing relationship to each other. This is probably not a film to watch if you deem yourself a particularly anxious person; but, then again, that is often times why we go to the movies- am I right? If you do choose to watch this one, catching it in theaters will definitely add a "real life" aspect to your viewing experience.

So, did you accept this challenge yet? If so, what sentiments did you escape from your experience with?