Escape Room [DVD]

I really enjoyed watching this film, it's a perfect example of the kind of action schlock that's good for killing time, but not what you'd necessarily call a 'good' movie. The premise isn't super unique, but it's very well executed in this case. The 'rooms' around which the plot revolves are all very inventive, original, and interesting. It's the puzzle-solving and intensity of the stakes which keep this movie going and keeps you invested in it.Sadly, this comes at the expense of the characters.The acting here is passable, I won't complain about any of the performances honestly. However, the writing is so painful at times, especially when we're first being introduced to our characters and the dialogue just beats you over the head with what trope check boxes each character tics. In some ways this takes away from the stakes in the sense that we don't really feel much of a connection to the characters as they're fighting for their lives, but I do think it does a good job of whittling the cast down to the best ones by the end (with one exception.)Overall, this is definitely a movie I could see myself watching again sometime, and it's a really fun ride if you go in with tempered expectations.

I watch a LOT of low budget B films - if the premise is interesting, and the plot is logical/not braindead, I'm very forgiving on everything else. Even then, most of the films in this tier are usually HORRIBLE. This is a shocking exception - definitely watch if you like 'puzzle' type films that are 'closed world' and have ONTOLOGICAL mystery elements.//Mild Spoiler AlertThis is a shocking exception - This film has the same production values as say Natali's Cube series (a favorite of mine), and the acting (which I usually underweight anyway) is really quite good! Beyond the basics - plot flow, narrative setup, world-building, Sfx shots (which were good), set design (really good), casting (good), and writing (good but maybe needed dialogue polish), I always think the most important question to me is HOW HARD DID THE FILMMAKERS WORK ON THIS?If you view film as an effort/work product on the part of the creators (and I do), then I really am impressed with how much thought went into this film. It would have simple enough to throw people in a room and just basically kill them off (and there are of course films that do this), but I do think this film shows a lot of forethought in the design, creation of tension, ratcheting of that tension, unpredictability, and definitely some realism.Shoutout especially to the snow scenes which I thought were the best done - very atmospheric, totally unexpected, made for a great setup even if the dialogue could have have been better. Demerits to the black/white TV room as I think that was really poorly thought out compared to the rest of the sequences.I believe there is a sequel - I will definitely be watching!

Crazy movie and concept. Defiantly loved it.

Movie was very good

I read the reviews and I was intrigued even though the basic idea of the movie has been done before. An unknown organization is studying people put into a bad situation, for unknown reasons, where the people/human guinea pigs must struggle to survive or be killed if they fail the situational tests. I've seen this same kind of movie with the "Cube" movies as well as a couple of other movies where people are trapped inside an office building and forced to survive by killing each other or cheating other people to survive the situation. It's now an overused concept.In this movie there are a number of unrelated people that are sent mysterious "invitations" to participate in an "Escape Room" where the winner takes home $10,000. Sounds OK, and even I'm intrigued enough to want to see what's up with this offer. They arrive at a large, business building complete with a single security guard at the reception desk - yeah, the building looked empty for a large office building, and only one security guard for such a large building seemed very suspicious to me.They take the elevator to an upper level floor and enter an office with a large waiting area and a receptionist who is behind a opaque "closed" window who rudely doesn't even open the window to check people in, just tells them to come in. Again, very suspicious, but, the competitors don't seem to notice. They include one competitor who is the only one who has participated in such competitions so that he can inform the others what is going on and how to play the game. Otherwise, all of them would have been killed in the very first challenge. That made me suspect him as the "plant/mole." I won't spoil it by saying whether or not he is or isn't a plant.Long story short, the competitors get into the competition unexpectedly and then every one of the Escape Rooms seems to have a limited amount of time to figure out or die. The good and the bad human survival characteristics come out of each of the competitors. It's an OK movie and things are revealed as to their seemingly unrelated connections to each other a little over half way through. In that respect, it is light years better than the stupid "Cube" movies that do not give any explanations at all about what is happening.The Good: I liked this movie more than any of the "Cube" movies because it provided at least some kind of explanation for what is happening. And the ending is better than any of the "Cube" movies.SPOILER ALERTThe Bad: Like the "Cube" movies, the people behind the "Escape Room" would have had to expend hundreds of millions of $ to make that supposedly dilapidated high rise building look "new" and add working "new" elevators, run power to the building, create the various rooms with moving ceilings/walls, and all the expensive furniture/props, and that "ice lake" room would have cost millions of $ alone. That's an unbelievably stupid amount of money that no one would expend just to study people's survival reactions and actions. And also, it would take months of construction to remake that building and yet the police never find out that it was done??? Furthermore, it would have taken months for them to completely deconstruct the entire building (removing all of the items they put into it) and make it look empty and dilapidated. Yet, when the cops enter the building, they don't seem the least bit suspicious that a dilapidated, empty, building has new looking, fully working elevators?????????For these reasons I gave it 3 stars (these inconsistencies would have lowered it to a 2 1/2, but, that's not an option) instead of 4. The actors were good and the direction better than other, similarly themed movies. In fact, the budget was obviously much better than other similar movies and is evident in the sets as well as the quality of actors.

Worth watching

I have had it delivered

Der Film "Escape Room" wurde 2019 von Adam Robitel inszeniert und steht in der Tradition der äusserst beliebten Horrorfilme, die ihre Protagonisten in ein erzwungenes "Spiel ohne Grenzen" setzen und denen bald klar wird, dass sie um ihr eigenes Leben spielen. Dem Sieger würden allerdings 10.000 Dollar winken.Adam Robitel kam durchs Drehbuchschreiben zum Film. Er verfasste das Script zu "Paranormal Actifiy: The Ghost Dimension" und es dauerte nicht lange, bis er sein Regiedebüt bekam. Der 2018 inszenierte "Insidious- The last key" wurde mit 167 Millionen Dollar Einspielergebnis ein sehr guter Kassenhit. Mit "Escape Room" liegt er nur wenig dahinter - denn die weltweiten Einnahmen von 155 Millionen Dollar können sich ebenfalls sehen lassen.Wer Horrorvarianten wie "Saw" oder "Cube" mag, der wird sich auch beim "Escape Room" gut unterhalten können.Vorsicht Spoiler:Sechs Personen, die sich nicht kennen, bekommen alle das gleiche Geschenk von Unbekannt: Dieser Art Puzzle Würfel führt diese sechs Menschen zusammen. Die Botschaft, die dieser geheimnisvolle schwarze Würfel vermittelt, ist "kreativ ausserhalb der Box zu denken, neue Türen zu öffnen". Eine Einladung der Firma Minos steckt auch darin und so lernen sich die sechs Personen mit ganz unterschiedlichem Hintergrund in einem Vorstellungszimmer kennen. Es sind dies die junge, sehr introvertierte Physikstudentin Zoe (Taylor Russell), der reiche und etwas arrogante Börsenmakler Jason (Jay Ellis), Amanda (Deborah Ann Woll), eine Irak-Veteranin sowie der Lagerarbeiter Ben (Logan Miller), der sich einen besseren Job wünscht. Ausserdem mit dabei sind der Escape Room Fan Danny (Nik Dodani) und Trucker Mike (Tyler Labine). Und ehe es den sechs Kandidaten klar wird, sind sie schon mitten in der ersten Runde des tödlichen Spiels. Der Raum, in dem sie sich befinden, wird zum Glutofen und nun gilt es den ersten Schlüssel zu finden, der sie vor dem kommenden Feuerinferno befreit...Dann geht es weiter Schlag auf Schlag. Auf Feuer folgt natürlich Eis und es folgt ein sonderbarer Billardraum, in dem Petula Clarks Welthit "Downtown" in Dauerschleife läuft. Bald bemerken die Kandidaten, dass sie alle schon einmal die alleinigen Überlebenden einer Katastrophe waren - Somit ist es offensichtlich, warum sie für dieses Spiel ausgesucht wurden. Das Spiel möchte den Sieger der Sieger dieser Glückspilze küren. Ein weiterer Raum enthält giftiges Gas und am Ende steht ein Raum, dessen Wände und Decken sich bewegen - mit dem Sinn die Personen darin zu zerquetschen. "Escape Room" ist ein ganz unterhaltsamer Horrorfilm mit guten Szenenbildern, er kann aber keine klaustrophobische Stimmung wie beispielsweise "Cube" von Vincenzo Natali aus dem Jahr 1997 entwickeln. Wobei das Ende natürlich auf eine Fortsetzung hindeutet. Den Minos, diese ominöse Gesellschaft, hat nicht vor ihr Preisgeld auch wirklich auszuzahlen.

Assolutamente innovativo e al cardiopalma, è impossibile non sentirsi coinvolti emozionalmente nelle varie prove che devono affrontare i concorrenti di un gioco perverso in cui chi vince sopravvive e chi perde muore. Scene veloci e con trappole mortali e cervellotiche ben organizzate in cui si susseguono senza mai annoiare avvenimenti carichi di tensione e vero terrore di cui facilmente lo spettatore può sentirsi parte. Una sorta di mix tra Manhunt e The Cube, in cui ricchi perversi e crudeli usano super intelligenti concittadini per divertirsi delle loro peripezie alle prese con prove e giochetti che nella maggioranza dei casi si riveleranno fatali. Davvero molto bello, ma lo sconsiglio vivamente a chi soffre di claustrofobia o stati d'ansia.

Gestern am Mädelsabend haben wir uns zusammen diesen Film angesehen. Meine beste Freundin, welche beim Fernsehgucken immer nebenbei ihr Tablet am laufen hat, hat dieses sogar ausgemacht, weil der Film so mega spannend war. Man fiebert richtig mit ihnen mit, dass sie es durch die Räume schaffen. Mussten am Mädelsabend auch gleich den zweiten Teil schauen, weil der erste mit einem mega Cliffhanger endet. Kann den Film klar empfehlen und den zweiten Teil "No Way Out" ebenso

Bin mit dem Film mehr als zufrieden, er hat mir vom Anfang bis Ende sehr gut gefallen, es gibt überhaupt nichts zu kritisieren. Außerdem wahr er spannend bis zur letzten Minute und man hat sich überhaupt nicht gelangweilt. Endlich mal wieder ein richtig guter Film denn es sich lohnt auch zu schauen, sogar mehr als nur einmal. Weil man einfach die ganze mitfiebert und überlegt was wird wohl als nächstes passieren bzw. kommen.