"Escape Room" - Film Review
Escape Room is a horror-movie take on the puzzle-solving fun of escape rooms currently sweeping the United States. Granted, the popular real-life escape rooms do not have an added element of death, but Escape Room the movie does not shy away from quite a few grisly murders.
Essentially a more teen-friendly version of the Saw franchise, Escape Room centers on a group of six people who are all sent mysterious puzzle boxes. It’s unclear where the boxes came from, and all six characters take different approaches to solving the mechanical puzzle in their box. Some use YouTube to guide them through, some are interested in solving it on their own, and some take the more violent approach of breaking it open with a hammer. Inside the boxes are invitations to Wootan Yu Escape Rooms, where the prize for completing the room is $10,000.
The issue with most films that try to capitalize on fads is that they are made quickly, without much concern for storytelling. Just produce and release as fast as possible in order to cash in on the craze before pop culture moves on to the next thing. Perhaps most shocking about the Escape Room movie is that there’s enough thought put into the plot to make it a genuinely enjoyable experience. Sure, the audience never fully understands how the organization behind these murderous escape rooms has been able to create them, but for this sort of B movie, the audience doesn’t need all the facts. Accept that there is some shadowy organization of rich people with the means to make these ludicrous puzzle death traps for people to solve and enjoy the ride.
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Most importantly, the puzzles in the escape rooms are solvable for the audience watching in the theatre or at home. The common problem with contemporary mainstream horror is that the scripts are rarely bothered by a need to have the plot make sense. The general spooks and haunts are often explained away by “mysterious forces,” but Escape Room rewards viewers who are paying attention with the chance to solve the puzzles. The film also has a twist or two that can’t be guessed easily, but the possibility still exists. While obviously requiring a suspension of disbelief, Escape Room manages to have everything make sense within the world of the movie. It’s a welcome change for audiences who enjoy horror movies, but get frustrated when things aren’t given a reasonable explanation.
Escape Room is a fun ride, even with inadequate dialogue. Quite a bit of it consists of characters simply pointing out items as they enter the various rooms. It’s very possible, though, to overlook this because of the rollicking journey that follows. For the squeamish, the film shies away from the intense gore of Saw. At only 100 minutes, Escape Room is a cheesy B movie that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
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