Escape Room

Puzzles can be tricky, especially if you have to out together big puzzles with over 1000 pieces. I have tried, and trust me i could not go all the way through. Maybe i don´t have enough patience, or maybe i need to try and think differently on how to solve puzzles. Puzzles can be made in different ways, it is not always small pieces you put together, some are a bit more complicated than that. There are several great films that used puzzles and math combined, especially the 1997 cult classic film known as Cube. This film tells the story of a group of selected people who wake up inside a cube, where every room could have deadly traps. They need to figure out how the cube works to get out, using the right number combinations on each door. This is a very intelligent film, and one of the films of the 90´s that turned out to be original. Let´s stay within the same year and talk about another film that takes on another kind of puzzle. The 1997 thriller The Game, from director David Fincher, is one of the best thrillers of the 90´s with a very good performance by legendary actor Michael Douglas. He plays the wealthy investment banker Nicolas Van Orton, who is given a birthday present from his brother Conrad Van Orton ( played by legendary actor Sean Penn ). This gift is a voucher for a " game " offered by a company called Consumer Recreation Services ( CRS ). But what Nicolas does not know, is that this game is very different from anything else that he have seen before. The Game is a very intelligent thriller, how you handle different situations in a game that feels very serious, and if you can figure out how to survive. A must see on DVD or Blu Ray. Recently i picked up a new Blu Ray of the film Escape Room, a film i wanted to see Since the beginning of this year. Is this an intelligent horror film, or is it " same business as usual " and very predictable ?

In Chicago, Illinois, physics student Zoey Davis ( Taylor Russell ), stockboy Ben Miller ( Logan Miller ), daytrader Jason Walker ( Jay Ellis ), war veteran Amanda Harper ( Deborah Ann Woll ), trucker Mike Nolan ( Tyler Labine ) and escape room enthusiast Danny Khan ( Nik Dodani ) all receive invitations to the Minos Escape Room Facility, with a chance to win 10.000 US dollars. Everyone arrives to the facility waiting room, but none of these people know what they are about to experience. 

If you wanted to see a different take on puzzle films, i can´t say that Escape Room will bring you any big surprises. However, there are parts of this film i actually enjoy, because of the chemistry between the characters, trapped to play each game. You could say that Escape Room is a combination of the Saw films, The Game and even a little bit of Cube. One of the best scenes in this film is actually a pool bar room, where they have to figure out a puzzle on a bar wall. I mentioned the characters, so we should talk about them for a bit. Lead actress Taylor Russel ( who you probably recognize from the great TV series Falling Skies ) does a good performance as the intelligent character Zoey Davis. It is nice to see a strong female character in a film like this, but she´s not the only one. I also enjoy actress Deborah Ann Woll ( remember her from TV series True Blood ? ) as the tough character Amanda Harper. She is not afraid to take chances, and i really enjoy Devorah´s effort into her character. The male roles are not bad, but there are a few that stands out. Actor Logan Miller ( who you probably remember from the film Before I Fall, worth checking out ) as the trouble filled Ben Miller is one of those characters you get frustrated on, and also feel sorry for. Logan does this character in a way that fits with the story. Jay Ellis ( who you might recognize from TV series Insecure ) is a survival type with his character Jason Walker, something he manage to do well. The plot is actually not that bad, Since we do get a few surprises along the way. I also like that the film tries to focus on making surprises with the puzzles and the clues, and don´t become too predictable. Perhaps i would have liked a stronger ending, but can´t complain otherwise. Director Adam Robitel directed the well made horror film The Taking, a film i still enjoy even today. Escape Room may not be as good as The Taking, but i still feel director Adam Robitel have managed to do a horror film that is entertaining, and more clever than most horror releases these days. If you love thriller horror films, and enjoy puzzles and clues, i have a feeling Escape Room is your perfect match. What can i say, i had a good time with this film, i might even start doing puzzles from now on.

Rating: DDD