Imagine an Escape Room where the challenge wasn't a game. Several contestants are invited through an intriguing invitation, thinking they are participating in the toughest escape room challenge devised. But unaware of the stakes. All of the contestants share a common thread, although they don't realize it until deep into the game. Long after they have realized the stakes. Zoey (Taylor Russell) is a young savant. She is quiet and reserved, but impressively intelligent. Particularly in the realm of physics. Amanda (Deborah Ann Woll) is an Iraq War veteran. Mike (Tyler Labine) is an out-going truck driver. Ben (Logan Miller) is a dropout who works in the stock room of a grocery store. Jason (Jay Ellis) is a high-powered deal broker. Danny (Nik Dodani) is a gamer. The contestants don't know each other creating trust issues and suspicion. As the begin to realize the seriousness of the "game," they must navigate a path that doesn't have an honest solution. The game is rigged against them. The sooner they realize that, the better their chances of survival.
The Escape Room screenplay was written by Bragi F. Schut and Maria Melnik. I am not famliar with Schut, but have enjoyed Counterpart and American Gods, which are two of the series that Melnik has written for. I think Schut and Melnik would be awesome at creating an actual escape room. While the film required a bit of coincidence and contrivance to move forward at a good pace, it was still fun to watch the players navigate and interact with the rooms. The pacing was great, creating a decent level of suspense. But the overall idea was a bit flat, the characters could have used better depth and the story could have had a bit more substance. The film was not very rewarding. There is a very solid foundation here, but it doesn't measure up to the promise it holds.
I loved Taylor Russell in this film. This was the first film I have seen her in. Her only other film is Lost in Space although she has another in the works. This Canadian actress has a promising future. I also liked Deborah Ann Woll, who has a fairly decent list of credits, but I recognized her from True Blood. I think it is the only film or series I have seen her in. I enjoyed Labine and loved him in Tucker and Dale vs. Evil which is one of the best spoof films I have seen. The rest of the cast was okay, but no one stood out. The casting was okay. A film like this doesn't require a bunch of known actors. The acting was a bit stilted at times, but I think a lot of that was the dialogue, which seemed a bit juvenile at times.
Escape Room was rated PG-13. That's good, because teenagers are likely the target audience for this film. The film is violent, although not excessively gory like Saw. It is like "Saw-light." The film has good tension and some scenes that could induce nightmares in young children. But overall, not exceptionally objectionable. There are some suggestive themes and language, but they are passive and are likely to be lost on younger viewers. Teenage audiences, possibly tweens and older, should be fine for this film. The run time is one hour, 39 minutes.
Escape Room is a mediocre film. Not bad enough to earn a non-recommendation. Not good enough for a glowing review. It is just milquetoast. The story was intriguing. In fact, while the concept feels derivative of films like Saw it also provides some fresh perspective. But the story is forced. The characters never fully connect. The dialogue was juvenile at times. The pacing was great, with a bit of tension that made the story worthwhile. For a suspense film, this one does have decent suspense. While contrived and derivative, I enjoyed the individual rooms (although the technological aspects were a bit far fetched). I would mildly recommend this film. 6/10.
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