Totally enjoyed this movie , it was like saw, just felt that the ending was kinda rushed
I had a big expectation for this movie. It seemed something different from all the thriller movie that are coming out in these last few years. I reality is a version of Saw, but less gorish and more "family friendly". I was not disappointed. The escape room element was very well used, all these enigmas to solve, you are really wondering where they will bring in the end. I have found the ending a little bit rushed, but it gaves room for a second movie. Let's hope.
It's like Saw, Cube, and Exam but not quite equal to the sum of its parts. Aside from Zoey (the girl on the poster), the characters are cliche and forgettable. It's a fun movie with some excellent set pieces, and it makes you feel like you're right there with the characters trying to solve the puzzles. I just wish the viewer was given more information, so a clever viewer could figure it out ahead of the characters. So we couldn't jump ahead. Overall it was worth watching, but it wasn't as good as the movies that influenced it.
Surprisingly not a bad film and entertaining with a sound cast and it’s a blend of saw & cube and liked how the ending went too.
I’ve heard there could be a upcoming sequel for this year coming in the works with some of the same cast.
A good movie with great potentials and hope there’ll be a sequel. Appreciate this new concept.
January films are tricky. A lot of people may say January is the month that films go to die, but I argue that sometimes, just sometimes, you can find a film or two released in the first month that’s actually worth watching, and I think Escape Room can ultimately be put into that category. If you’re a fan of the Saw and Cube franchises like I am, you’ll probably love this film too, regardless of the fact that its PG-13 limitation systematically means no gore. It has that same level of intrigue, fascination, and mystery that the aforementioned films contain that just make the movies a fun experience overall.
I’m not saying it’s a perfect film, because you can tell right away that it’s flawed – especially with the acting. The acting in this movie is distractedly bad at times, because these characters have to believably give off the idea that they are actually afraid and are in danger, something that is technically really difficult to do. You gotta remember that these actors are actually safe and in a controlled environment, so to portray the opposite is probably one heck of a challenge. Then again, it is their job to do so. Just know that acting wasn’t exactly a big focus overall. There’s a lot going on in this film that shouldn’t be overlooked. So, let’s take a look at the film as a whole.
PEOPLE – 50% (10/20)
Acting – ★☆☆☆ | Characters – ★★★☆ | Casting – ★★☆☆ | Importance – ★★☆☆ | Chemistry – ★★☆☆
Sometimes, I feel like I would be a better horror/thriller writer than most out there right now purely because of my understanding with how important people are for these films. This category is extremely important for any film, sure, but especially horror and thriller, because how else will you CARE about the characters when they ultimately die or are put in immediate danger? Folks over in the movie business focus a lot on the scares or elements of danger, but the people on screen are so throwaway, it’s honestly sad. The acting is the first thing you will notice out of the gate. It’s bad. Really, really bad, specifically when it needs to be good. These characters work well when they’re goofing around or not trying to be scared, but given how this is a horror/thriller film, we need believably scared individuals, which we simply don’t have here. The characters are very, very interchangeable, but they all at least have a purpose for being here that relate to each other – similar to certain films in the Saw franchise, which makes them slightly better than your typical range of characters. The casting is fine, but nobody feels born to play their roles. Importance wise, they’re all fine, but like I said, they are all interchangeable, and the chemistry is fine…but because it’s not exactly a chemistry-centric film, there’s not really much of it to be found overall.
WRITING – 70% (7/10)
Dialogue – ★★ | Balance – ★★ | Story Depth – ☆☆ | Originality – ★☆ | Interesting – ★★
Now, believe it or not, I think the writing in this film was somewhat smart. Even though it is a horror/thriller film, it did at least attempt to come up with a complex story line that is very comparable to the mysteries and riddles you find in real escape rooms – and because there are multiple rooms, it never really stops impressing you in these elements. When it comes to dialogue, you can tell they thought extra hard on making riddles that weren’t impossible to solve, but are still pretty clever – and this is true throughout the film, so dialogue is central to the plot in this way. It’s also a very simple, balanced film where everyone is working together as a group-hero scenario – fighting for the same end goal – to make it out alive. This isn’t a deep or meaningful film by any means necessary. You can grasp at straws all you want and say it’s all about teamwork and working together, but that’s just silly. Originality-wise…I have never really seen an escape room film, and given the popularity of escape rooms recently, it makes sense why it showed up now. It feels like Saw and Cube had a lovechild, but I’m not complaining. And it was absolutely interesting enough for me to watch – and kept my interest throughout the film.
BTS – 80% (8/10)
Visuals – ★★ | Cinematography – ★★ | Editing – ★☆ | Advertising – ★★ | Music & Sound – ★☆
I would say the stuff going on behind-the-scenes wasn’t too bad. The most prominent aspect of what looked so great with this film was the visuals when it came to production design. Production design, at least for me, is when the setting of the film feels like a main character, and the sets of all of these escape rooms are actually really well thought out, especially with the upside-down room. The upside-down room was so, so clever, and the way it was ultimately shot helped the cinematography also stand out as a whole. Editing and Music/Sound were both pretty average and typical, but everything else more or less stood out and impressed me in ways I don’t normally see in similar films.
NARRATIVE ARC – 80% (8/10)
Introduction – ★☆ | Inciting Incident – ★★ | Obstacles – ★★ | Climax – ★★ | Resolution – ★☆
We had a mostly solid narrative structure, except for the introduction. Films like these like to get the ball rolling relatively quickly, so they don’t really take the time to introduce you to the characters…not really. It did a quick introduction of like, half the characters, and that was it…and those introductions weren’t even good enough for their characters. It was really impatient as far as getting things going, but once it starts, it starts. Everything worked out well here. The inciting incident is when the game starts, the crossing off the threshold is when they realize the game is kind of trying to kill them, the obstacles are the rooms in themselves, the climax is a big culmination that the rest of the film is building up to, and these movies don’t really have the best resolutions…that’s part of the point. They don’t ever return to a new sense of norm because that threatens their ability to make a sequel the way they want – and this is a movie that is probably going to be made into at least 5 other movies.
ENTERTAINMENT – 70% (7/10)
Rewatchability -★★ | Fun Experience – ★★ | Impulse to Buy or Own it – ★☆ | Impulse to Talk About or Recommend It – ☆☆ | Riveting – ★★
Before I saw this film, I saw people claiming the movie is a lot of fun, and indeed it is. That’s sort of the whole point. This is the type of film that knows it’s not going to win awards, and never even tries to because it’s too busy trying to have fun – that is where it succeeds. You’ll have a good time with this one, you’ll want to watch it again, and if you’re like me, you wouldn’t mind owning it, either. It’s just a fun time at the movies. Plus, it’s fast enough, and complex enough that you can’t really look away or you’ll miss something substantial, making the film riveting as well.
SPECIALTY – 87.5% (35/40)
Escape Rooms– ★★★★★★★★★★
As mentioned above, I can’t say I have ever seen a movie focusing on Escape Rooms before. It’s a concept that is done in similar fashions in similar movies, but if you’re as specific as me, I was really happy they made it. When talking about movies featuring escape rooms, you know I’d bring this one up, which is a success for them.
Thriller Genre – ★★★★★★★★★★
I really only have one prerequisite when watching thrillers, I want to be thrilled. I want my heart pounding watching it. That either means I’m scared for the people, or I just find it that fun. Escape Room is pure fun, and the very first room had my heart pounding, so this gets full points for me, as well.
Horror Genre – ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
I almost gave this zero points, and I’ll tell you why – it’s neither gory or scary…which a lot of the times are the foundation of what makes a horror film. But there’s something else. The horror genre is a niche that a lot of people are not only fans of, but they ONLY watch horror. They get their subscription to things like SHUDDER and join Facebook Horror Movie groups, and that’s their life. It took me a long time to understand where these people are coming from, but a lot of it has to do with just dumb fun – which is what this movie is all about. It may not have the gore, it may not have jump scares, it may not have slow-climbing scares, or anything paranormal, but it has that subtle feeling Horror fans love regardless, which means this should at least get half points.
Halfway Decent – ★★★★★★★★★★
Did they make the film they intended to make from the get-go? Of course they did. If I wanted to make a movie about escape rooms, I doubt I would’ve been able to get anything similar. They did a great job making their vision come to life.
TOTAL SCORE – 75%
It was ok for the first half, not great, but passable. But all that good will escaped me (no pun intended) as the film staggered to an extremely unsatisfying non-ending
I liked this movie more than I thought I would. I expected something along the lines of Saw, with over the top gore but I was happily surprised to see something a little different. Firstly; I never saw Saw because I know a movie like that will keep me up for a month or so, but I do know what the plot is about. This movie has a similar plot (it also reminded me of The Cube).
I was drawn in immediately with the flash forward at the start of the movie and upon finishing the movie I hope there will be a sequel.
The characters were likable, except for Jason, but he was suppose to be unlikable so that worked out well too. They revealed enough about each character to give them a backstory that blended in with the movie and left the rest to our imagination, much like the deaths that could've easily been a gore fest.
I read somewhere that a person said it was the perfect film for a Saturday night, I agree 100%.
Just like The Cube, equally entertaining.
This comes SO CLOSE to being a surprisingly good movie. And then the last 15 or so minutes completely shit the bed.
Escape Room is a thriller movie about six strangers who are invited to participate in an escape room, but soon realize that they are there for a reason and that their pasts have not been forgotten. Directed by Adam Robitel, the film has a premise that is a mix of The Cabin in the Woods and Cube, but it falls short in comparison. The characters are not particularly likable or relatable, and the weightier aspects of the movie fail to resonate with the audience. However, the movie is still watchable, with fun and inventive rooms that lack real terror or fear. The mystery is intriguing, and the events that unfold add to the suspense levels. However, the reveal is not surprising, and it is nothing that hasn't been seen or done before. Overall, Escape Room is an enjoyable B-movie that has potential for a franchise, but it is uncertain if the filmmakers can improve on a well-worn idea.
Escape Room es una película de suspenso sobre seis extraños que son invitados a participar en una sala de escape, pero pronto se dan cuenta de que están allí por una razón y que su pasado no ha sido olvidado. Dirigida por Adam Robitel, la película tiene una premisa que es una mezcla de The Cabin in the Woods y Cube, pero se queda corta en comparación. Los personajes no son particularmente agradables ni identificables, y los aspectos más importantes de la película no resuenan con la audiencia. Sin embargo, la película todavía se puede ver, con habitaciones divertidas e inventivas que carecen de terror o miedo real. El misterio es intrigante y los eventos que se desarrollan se suman a los niveles de suspenso. Sin embargo, la revelación no es sorprendente, y no es nada que no se haya visto o hecho antes. En general, Escape Room es una película B agradable que tiene potencial para una franquicia, pero no está claro si los cineastas pueden mejorar una idea muy conocida.
Loved the idea of this movie, I feel like it wasn’t executed well. Lots of unrealistic parts of it that were kinda laughable. It also wasn’t as exciting as I thought it was going to be based on the description. Only one in the series that I watched and I don’t think I plan on watching the others after this.
Despite being produced by a company called Original Films, there is nothing, absolutely nothing original about this movie. It's ALL be done before and done better than this shit.
Farfetched script, but directing, production and acting sell the film pretty good. It works as an overall package but don’t take it too seriously.. One room at a time...
I've never experienced an Escape Room, but if they are anything like the rooms in this movie, I probably wouldn't risk signing up for one! It's a good film, fun and inventive, with a good cast of characters that, with one exception, are worth rooting for. A sequel would not be unwelcome.
Really well done movie.
The acting is great and besides a couple weird and slow scenes at the end, this movie is all about exciting and heart racing moments in which it succeeds extremely well.
I was biting my nails the whole way through.
Omg, this movie was sick! I sat with my mouth open half of the time.. Every minute filled with action.
Glad that there wasn't really bloody scenes and pointless shooting, like most thrillers nowadays.
Average at best But Still a good time
Interesting movie that keeps your attention throughout. It’s just disappointing that it has a similar ending as the Belko Experiment. It falls apart a bit towards the end as well.
Actually better than I thought it would be. The ending was kind of drawn out though.
At first I was a little bored. I feel like some characters were just poorly writen, so they became boring. But the way each room was linked to their past traumas, and how it was explained was really interesting.
To be honest, I don't really care about the sequel, it didn't made me that curious, but everyone should just give it a try! It's a good movie to watch with friends.
As an overall, its a wild and entertaining film. Kudos to the production design on this one for those crazy rooms and clues (my personal favorite and the most anxiety-fulling was the upside down bar). Still, the ending is pretty rushed and with a cliffhanger absolutely NOT WORTH IT.
Finally a film that I can recommend to others.
Very good tension build-up, grandiose backdrops and a few nice ideas make the film worth seeing.
The story is nothing new, as it has been filmed umpteen times in films such as the "SAW" series or the "Cube" series.
But the film does that very well.
I'm already looking forward to the sequel, with the hope that it will not be expanded into a miserable franchise series such as the films mentioned above, because it feels like all films are just bad after the 2/3 part.
A bad kids version of Saw. Do not lose your time watching, it's not worth it.
the belko experiments was more fun than this to be honest!! i liked some of the games and it reminded me a lot of SAW but still it needed some fear to it and some actors who could actually sell it although i liked most of them here.
This remake of Saw tinged with Final Destination is better than the Halloween reboot but falls victim to its PG-13 rating.
Escape Room - :heart:x7
This was pretty good. Better than a couple of other recent Escape Room movies. The puzzles were cool. And Zoey was great. Let's hope we get a sequel.
Edit: I rewatched this the other night and I kept thinking Taylor Russell kept reminding me of another actress. . . it's Jenna Ortega - at least in this movie Taylor reminds me a lot of Jenna - her eyes, smile and mannerisms - I'm probably getting weird now. . .
How I rate:
1-3 :heart: = seriously! don't waste your time
4-6 :heart: = you may or may not enjoy this
7-8 :heart: = I expect you will like this too
9-10 :heart: = movies and TV shows I really love!
Mystery and agony without any blood and very entertaining. Loved the part with the background stories. Yes you can see SAW or even the CUBE but SAW was based on gore and CUBE is a category of film. Here is a nice teen attempt of make you wonder, very good puzzles and scenes.
The ending was just there so they can justify a sequel which from the sequel that it is already there we know it has nothing to do with the ending.
Better than average movie that keeps you engaged right till the end.
Definitely recommend.
8/10
3 Thoughts After Watching ‘Escape Room’:
I went into this looking for mindless entertainment, and that’s exactly what I got. I can say that my expectations were evenly met. But there was definitely some wit in here as well.
Mindless movie fun might sound easy to muster up, but it’s not possible without decent characters. And, I’ve gotta say, this ensemble was pretty solid. I actually cared what happened to them — and the leading smartypants was super likable.
As an admirer of escape rooms myself, I really enjoyed the set pieces. It was fun to see what room they’d find themselves in next, and what the puzzles would entail. I almost wish these actually existed… minus the fatalities. Maybe they do…
I am glad there is a sequel. I need more.
Absolutely loved the concept of this film. Not to mention, the production architecture was superb! It's a fast paced sci-fi thriller full of puzzles, riddles, and unexpected surprises. Great film!
8/10
Great
WHAT A VERY ENTERTAINING
MOVIE, I REALLY ENJOYED
EVERYONE IN IT AND EVERYONE PLAYED THEIR PARTS VERY VERY WELL.
IT WAS JUST A SMOOTH RUNNING MOVIE FROM START TO FINISH.
I'VE SEEN LOADS OF THESE TYPES
OF MOVIES AND SEVERAL
OF THEM ARE CALLED
"ESCAPE ROOM" BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY
THE BEST ONE OUT OF
THE BUNCH AND DEFINITELY
MY FAVOURITE.
(Bonus had a couple of actors in it I follow).
Great movie good traps doesn't mess around,
and it knows exactly what we are here for
and it certainly delivers.
(love the alternate opening
and the alternate ending).
right on to the sequel
Very mediocre. Saw is far better.
“Breathe, bitch.”
What a pleasant surprise. I like puzzles and having them go to different themed rooms is was pretty interesting. As usual, survival characters can be obnoxious and make stupid decisions, but I was happy with how everything turned out, twists and all.
Ended up watching it as the second one was coming out soon, I didn't even know this movie existed before that. It was enjoyable but everything fell apart with that ending. How many movies of this do we need?? I can see myself getting tired of this idea pretty quickly. The characters were forgettable except for a few which were not. The production design outshined everything else, a lot of thought and effort was put into the rooms to the point that I was anticipating each one.
Story = 6
Cinematography = 7
Soundtrack = 6
Production Design = 8
Acting = 5
Overall score = 6.5/10
great movie. the sequel also looks promising.
Much better than i expected after reviews and bad critics. 6.9/10
If you like the premise, this is rather entertaining, although ultimately quite dumb. There are worse ways to waste 1.5 hour, but you can find better ways too.
Kinda liked it. The setting was interesting and overall it reminded me a lot of the Saw movies. The ending was not the greatest I agree, but oh well. Good for a lazy Sunday evening I would say.
There is Cube, there is Saw, and all the rest is a waste of time
Its like Saw but more good, the final was without logic cause Zoey died, and he get alive and save Ben.
Didn't really like the ending, but the rest of the movie was amazing.
I wasn't expecting much from this film - I was watching it off to the side whilst playing video games but I ended up paying more attention to the movie - I found it pretty thrilling!
I liked it more than I expected, the escape rooms are fine.
The story is cruel, twisted, and sad. The writer's attempt to redeem it in the final 10 minutes utterly fails.
Great movie, great set pieces. Decent acting. I give it a solid 8, as it more than accomplished what it set out to do. I went in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised!
Full of mystery and intrigue, Escape Room is exciting thriller. When six strangers accept an invitation to participate in an escape room challenge they end up getting more than they bargained for; as the rooms soon turn deadly, changing the challenge into a fight for survival. The production designs for the rooms are incredible, creating really intricate and detailed traps. And the performances are pretty good too. However, the film kind of falls apart in the last act; which starts setting up a sequel and gives an unnecessary peak at the shadow organization behind the escape room. Still, the action scenes are intense and frightening, and the mystery of who the characters are and what has brought them together is compelling. While it has some flaws, Escape Room is a captivating horror film.
The movie is just amazing. Great time watching.
This mixed elements of CUBE and SAW using the frantic filmmaking of an early Zemekis. Intense and very watchable with likeable characters but an unsatisfying end. Still the ride there was a good one.
Quite a bearable mix of "Cube" and "Final Destination". ;)
I really enjoyed this suspense thriller. What an interesting game when the odds are stacked against you. I like the individual story behind each character. I agree with other comments, surely there must be a continuous sequel! I hope :thumbsup_tone1:
Surprisingly creative and enjoyable, but the last 20 minutes are tiring as all hell. It's like they couldn't decide how to end it so they shot several different ones and showed them all, one after the other. Then thought they might want to make a sequel and shot another one.
Really enjoyed this,looking forward to the next one in 2020!
As everyone already pointed out... starts out decent enough but suffers from a really bad - even idiotic - second half. Only worth it for some of the room designs tbh. (not even all of them).
I don't watch Horror movies purely because I don't enjoy jump scares. This movie doesn't use jump scares and I was able to watch and thoroughly enjoy it. I wish more horror movies were like this rather than just trying to make you jump every 5 minutes.
Overall the movie was better than I expected it to be, and I especially liked the detail of each escape room.
Not particularly original, but this thrilling film does create a good sense of mystery.
After many 'escape room' movies i believe this was the most decent among them.
These kind of movies always have some plot holes by default. The way the players are invited and what happens in the end, since it is a thriller and obviously they don't try to play just for fun, makes the scenario kinda unrealistic.
The good thing with this movie, is that showed us the people who made it, probably have played some escape rooms. There were riddles that fit in an escape room, having also some complexity and the atmosphere of the place was also good. As an escape fan and from a country of high level of escape rooms that was something satisfying.
On the other hand the characters were not something special. The movie should have tried to show how the skills of each one are important to solve the riddles, and how their backstory affect each other. Instead of that it promoted their personal drama in a cringe way, listening to cheesy lines and a fake team gathering and how they cooperate.
The ending was also bad. So many other options and they went, maybe, for the worst choice of ending. Kinda hasty and with an obvious way trying to make an urban myth.
Despite all the above, the movie was not that bad. A classic thriller, causing some anxiety, wondering what and when will happen something or to whom. It tried to stick to the escape room concept and gave an honest effort to cover the plot holes i mentioned earlier.
So if you want to invite your friends for some pizza and a movie to play, without really caring if you lose some scenes while talking, and if you like escape rooms, this is a good choice for you!
This movie was rushed, loved the concept but patience makes the best product. The ending veered 2 separate ways that came back together in a horrible clash.....horrible movie
Escape Room is a solid mishmash of Final Destination and Saw that has a very tense and engaging first half until it inevitably falls apart by the end. Still enjoyable and fun, it is expected as the movie builds that there will not be a satisfying throughline that ties it all together, but it doesn't matter. This is a welcome film franchise that much like this movie's rise and fall fizzle out with some really bad sequels once they release Escape Room 4 or 5. But that's ok! I'm already an apologist, so that is a win in my book.
It has some decent thrills but it ultimately forgettable.
Sounds like a slightly modified Saw. When in doubt remake!
Shout by dewdropvelvetBlockedParent2019-01-06T06:32:08Z
This was like saw, but better. Or it was as good as Saw was at the time it aired, just appropriate for the changing times.