Escape Room (2019)
Director: Adam Robitel
Screenplay: Bragi F. Schut and Maria Melnik
Starring: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Tyler Labine, Jay Ellis, Nik Dodani
SPOILERS AHEAD!
I like Saw II. The original film’s brutality and tense character work still hold up for me; later sequels feel increasingly formulaic. Escape Room (2019) seems determined to borrow that claustrophobic, puzzle-driven energy while mixing in elements of Final Destination, reality competition tropes, and mystery-thriller beats. The result is visually interesting in parts but narratively and emotionally unsatisfying.
The production design is a clear strength. Each escape room has a distinct look and personality: clever props, atmospheric lighting, and some bold visual effects. A standout sequence involves a DMT-like trip where the walls twist into black-and-white swirls and TV static; the filmmakers lean into psychedelic visuals effectively, and those moments register as genuinely inventive. That said, the cinematography often breaks basic spatial rules, which makes room layouts confusing and undermines clarity during tense scenes.
Where the film falters is in its writing and character work. The cast comprises archetypal types—introvert, risk-taker, jock, soldier—yet they rarely feel like full people. Exposition is handled awkwardly: the screenplay pauses the action for extended backstory reveals that read like checklist entries rather than organic character development. These stop-and-tell moments interrupt momentum and dilute suspense.
The film also struggles with point-of-view. It opens on Ben navigating a trap, but then jumps among several characters—Zoey, Jason, Ben—without establishing a single clear protagonist. This scattershot approach weakens emotional investment; when danger becomes real, too many characters react with oddly casual detachment, which reduces the stakes. If a film asks viewers to fear for its characters, the characters themselves need to convincingly respond to that fear.
Many of the obstacles and puzzles are inconsistent or implausible. Some set pieces are imaginative—a cottage with a seven-word lock, an icy tundra built inside a concrete structure—but the film rarely makes the rules feel credible. Temperature, danger, and cause-and-effect shift to suit plot needs rather than logic. The result is that the audience is often left wondering why characters don’t respond more urgently or why certain solutions are so conveniently found.
Deaths and peril arrive unevenly. The pacing of fatalities and survivals doesn’t always reinforce tension; sometimes a character’s demise lands with little emotional payoff because we haven’t been given enough reason to care. A few performances insert awkward attempts at levity or improv that clash with the intended menace, and inappropriate small-talk in life-or-death moments becomes distracting rather than character-building.
Midway through, the film finally foregrounds the central connective tissue: each contestant is a sole survivor of a traumatic incident. This is the film’s explanation for the theme, and while it provides a thread, it lacks the moral dimension that made the Jigsaw antagonist in Saw compelling. Instead of a philosophical or ethical motive, Escape Room relies on a more cynical reveal: wealthy spectators betting on human suffering. That twist lands with predictable cruelty but without much insight.
The climactic unmasking—where a controlling figure watches contestants on screens and the survivors confront the operation—delivers some tense beats. However, the film then leans into familiar horror sequel bait: survivors are returned to medical care, questioned, and offered an implausible neat tie-up that quickly gives way to another tease for future installments. The final sequences rely on anagram trickery and a last-minute leap that feels derivative rather than clever, trading nuance for shock.
Overall, Escape Room is a mixed bag. Its production design and a few strong visual sequences elevate the film above generic horror fare, but inconsistent character development, shaky plotting, and tonal missteps undercut its effectiveness. The movie aims for high-concept thrills and social-meets-survival commentary, yet it never quite builds sufficient sympathy for its players or convincing internal rules for its world. For viewers drawn to inventive set pieces and sharp visuals, there’s something to appreciate here; for those seeking tight suspense and well-earned stakes, the film is likely to frustrate.
4/24