ESCAPE ROOM: Come For The Thrills, Stay For The Kills
It seems like every day, horror and thriller films are getting more and more specific. They’re catching on to the new parts of our society in an attempt to put a dark spin on the things we enjoy. Think of films like Searching and Unfriended, movies that remind us of the potentially sinister nature of the internet. These films are specifically targeted for a 21st century audience.
These films are fascinating because they exist for the moment in which they were created. They’re not made to stand the test of time, but to stand the test of the moment, and I have a distinct respect for that kind of film. A film that wants you to care about the here and now.
Perhaps that’s just me looking too much into Escape Room, but I was fascinated as I watched the film, recalling that this film wouldn’t be as effective in the ’80s or ’90s, but now, when escape rooms are at their height in pop culture, it’s the perfect idea. It’s not a masterpiece, nor does it have any particular depth, but Escape Room does its job and I can’t fault it for that.
There Are Rooms…And You Have To Escape Them
If you couldn’t already guess the synopsis of the film based on the…title, here’s what we’re working with: Escape Room follows 6 strangers who must work together in order to escape what they thought would be an ordinary escape room, but which turns out to be a much more sinister, deadly experience than they had imagined.
Now honestly that alone is enough to get me interested in this flick. A tight, six character cast? Count me in. And the cast works pretty well for me. You have an escape room enthusiast, a businessman, a veteran, a blue collar worker, a punk with a drinking problem, and our main character, the brains.
Zoey, the aforementioned brains, is played in a sometimes overly-quirky performance by Taylor Russell. Her character is the quiet, awkward one of the group, but she predictably proves herself to be the most resourceful in the escape room, as she gains the confidence she always needed through each room.
No Escape From The Script
At the start of the film, Zoey struggles to answer a question in class due to her fear of attention. By the end of the film, she’s breaking cameras, screaming swears and doing everything she can to get the hell out of the escape room. It’s an arc that is so fraught with predictability that it lacks any real satisfaction.
But even as she first entered the escape room, I found myself wondering, “Why would the girl who can’t answer a question in class go to an escape room with 6 strangers?” Escape rooms simulate pressure and anxiety, they want you to feel the clock ticking as you solve the puzzles before you. Sure, Zoey went because her teacher wanted her to push herself, but there was no real reason for her to go, especially based off what we know about her.
Flawed reasoning and decision making like this was nearly enough for me to write off this film entirely. This was coupled with dialogue that made me want wine to pair with the cheese that was being offered, but I didn’t give up on the film.
The Rooms
In a film called Escape Room, the bare minimum that the film has to give us is, believe it or not, rooms. And we get them! The rooms were by far the most enjoyable part of the film, because it showed the filmmakers getting creative with their setpieces. There was a frozen tundra, a sports bar that was flipped upside down, and a swirling psychedelic room that made me glad I didn’t see this film in 3D.
The rooms brought character to the film and helped create a sense of destination. We were told from the beginning that there would be 6 rooms (in true Wonka fashion, the characters are killed off by each room) but having that in mind help set a goal, and made the film feel like a sort of checklist, rewarding the audience by advancing the story with each room.
Optimistic For Its Future
Escape Room, like nearly every other movie you’ve walked into recently, leaves the audience with an ending that begs for a sequel. Zoey decides to get to the bottom of the escape room. Who’s behind it, and why? When we see our faceless villain’s plans to tamper with her flight at the end of the film, the movie leaves us wondering if she will even survive.
It’s an ending that’s frustrating enough to leave me wondering what’s going to happen next, and the film seems to be crossing its fingers in hopes that it will be able to tell its story further. And you know what? Fine. Let them tell this story.
Is Escape Room a perfect film? Hardly, but it delivers on what a thriller should deliver on. There are high pressure situations and intense camera movements that are enough to get the blood pumping. And most importantly, there are stakes. Escape Room has consequences. When a character dies, we feel the stakes heating up like an oven.
I’ve got time for thrillers like Escape Room because they’re a good time so long as you switch your brain to “just go with it” mode. If you’re looking for a fun movie with friends, take them to Escape Room. You’ll have as much fun watching the thrill on screen as you will making fun of it after.
What did you think of Escape Room? Is it fun enough to warrant a sequel? Is a movie about Vape Lounges next? Let me know in the comments below!
Escape Room is in theaters now.
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