Reviewed by: Harry H.
Sometimes it’s nice to step back and escape the rush and buzz of big blockbusters. Escape Room is a horror/thriller film with a humble budget of $9million, an entree of actors I’ve never heard of and a director who has worked on the most recent (and most disappointing) instalments of Insidious and Paranormal Activity.
One of the first things you notice about Escape Room is that it follows a typical teenage slasher formula, whereby we have half a dozen characters being slowly taken out one by one – the more esteemed horror fan might even predict who is going to die next. That being said, the film is still pretty entertaining – it’s get stuck into the scary bits quickly, we have a a new environment or puzzle to solve every 15-20 minutes and we’re not hampered with endless exposition.
The characters themselves are also eccentric and semi-interesting – a rarity for a low-budget horror film – and each gets a well-rounded arc. We don’t know who they are at the start, but we learn about their quirks and past, and then they each either learn a lesson or get killed – a perfect slasher!
So, the scary bits – is it scary? Not really. There are many parts which have you on the edge of your seat and there are a couple of unpleasant deaths, but very little in the way of truly disturbing or gory content. You could see Escape Room as the playful lovechild of a Saw and Final Destination movie, only without the blood.
The only real problem I had with this film though, was the ending. The writers obviously wanted there to be a clever twist, but also to leave the door open for a sequel. So, they simply did a scene for both! The result is two completely different endings, neither of which made much sense.
There wasn’t much else to dislike about this film; it just doesn’t stand out or do anything particularly special. If you’re a horror fan, liked the look of the trailer and have an evening where you and a mate are free, I wouldn’t discourage you seeing Escape Room because ultimately, I had fun watching it.
Verdict: A fun but flawed horror movie
Rating: 6/10
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