‘Escape Room’ (2019) is campy good fun (review)

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Escape rooms have risen in popularity, and the aptly-named 2019 thriller “Escape Room” aims to capitalize on that trend. Directed by Adam Robitel, the film is ripe with gorgeous set design, awe-inspiring effects, and a solid cast of characters. The third act somewhat unravels as the narrative prematurely sets its sights on a sequel, but it’s nevertheless B-movie fun.

A group of six individuals of various backgrounds, with no apparent commonalities, are each gifted a mysterious puzzle box. There’s physics student Zoey (Taylor Russell), grocery store stockboy Ben (Logan Miller), affluent day trader Jason (Jay Ellis), Iraq wat veteran Amanda (Deborah Ann Woll), truck driver Mike (Tyler Labine), and escape room buff Danny (Nik Dodani). Solving the cube reveals a call to attempt the world’s most immersive escape room that, purportedly, nobody has ever finished. And the stakes are high with a $10,000 bounty on the line.

While gathered in the waiting area, the group anticipates the arrival of the Gamemaster. When Ben attempts to leave, the door handle pops off signaling that the challenge has already started and the waiting area is the first room. However, the initial escape room is a massive oven that, unsurprisingly, causes panic. Resident escape room enthusiast Danny reassures his fellow escape room comrades that it’s standard fare. But in the next room, a winter cabin, things take a deadly turn.

“Escape Room” remains a taut psychological thriller for its entirety. Although the audience is introduced to a few of the characters at the onset, their backstories are shrouded in an air of mystery. As such, the audience is just as much involved in the puzzle-solving as the on-screen characters. Peppered throughout the different escape rooms are clues from the players’ pasts which serve to flesh out their backgrounds. Likewise, the characters and audience jointly attempt to decipher why the players were called together for this specific escape room.

Set design is absolutely marvelous. Inventive environments glisten on-screen with colors that truly pop. As the players progress, the rooms become increasingly elaborate ranging from the waiting area oven and winter cabin to a grimy hospital ward and a hallucinatory room plucked straight out of an “Alice in Wonderland” nightmarish dreamscape. The highlight room is a billiards room with a twist/

Cinematography is gorgeous throughout. One scene finds a room where everything’s upside down. The camera begins with this particular setting as it would be expected, then pans out and rotates to show players transfixed in a disorienting escape room. It’s a masterful use of the camera.

In the third act, “Escape Room” gets away from itself a bit. After reaching a decent stopping point, the movie continues, unnecessarily setting up a sequel. That’s not to say a sequel is unwanted. On the contrary, the film establishes a fascinating shadowy company in Minos Escape Rooms. But it could have simply wrapped up its characters’ arcs, saving a sequel to pick up where the original left off. Acting performances are solid all-around. Admittedly, the characters’ various personal histories aren’t the most inventive, but they don’t need to be. Enough intrigue is fostered by the players themselves and the sinister escape room. Additionally, in killing off a character early on and unexpectedly, “Escape Room” proves that nobody is safe. Thus, the whole film features a successfully tense atmosphere.

Exciting, highly entertaining, and pleasantly original, “Escape Room” is an edge-of-your-seat romp. The detailed sets, mystifying puzzle-solving elements, and likable characters make it a juicy psychological thriller. The effects are superb, with impressive stunt work and CG that pairs well with practical effects. But the movie is at its best when confined to itself, rather than looking ahead to a sequel.

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