Escape Room Movie -"No Escape Room" Movie Review
Keeping up with the trend of Escape Room Mania and following the 2017 Escape Room movie, 2018 saw another movie, 'No Escape Room,' which was creatively executed.
Although the 2017 movie started a trend, it could not make a massive impression on the audience. However, the 2018 version did just that and took the entire experience one level up.
The movie falls into the category of psychological horror and is sure to creep viewers out.
The movie opens with a father-daughter duo heading out for their weekly bonding session, which the daughter seems uninterested in. After all, teenagers and their phones see no other.
Disrupted by the engine breakdown, they end up having a breakfast meal by a roadside diner while their car is being fixed. As we all know, the repair work is going to take an eternity. While waiting, they discover the Escape Room Game ad.
Determined to continue the fun, they decide to participate in this game, hoping that it will still lead to bonding and catching up as usual. Little did they know what was in store. An isolated house converted into an escape room adventure will lead their lives into a never-ending loop of disaster.
The 2018 movie is directed by Alex Merkin and is a sequel to the previous one. It stars Jeni Ross as Karen, the daughter, and Dennis Andres as the father. They both do an excellent job of playing the role, and their chemistry is believable.
The inspiration for the movie?
For those unaware, escape rooms are the current trend in outdoor entertainment. Here groups of people pay to be locked in a room and given clues to find a way out before time is up. As crazy as that may sound, it is an experience worth enjoying.
The popularity of these game rooms is reaching new heights each day. The line of movies around this theme is the perfect catch for the industry at the moment. People enjoy the film as much as they enjoy the live experience. I know I do.
I have seen the way these rooms are always fully booked, especially during the holiday season. I remember how long I have waited in queues to be in one with my friends and play our hearts out. But, it has been worth it every time.
Those sixty minutes inside the escape room fly by. Before we know it, we wish to do it one more time. That timer that ticks down is my frenemy. As much as it keeps me on the go, I am desperate to beat it somehow.
An Escape Room movie keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. They are always wondering about what comes next. This is exactly what the live experience does to you.
It is a head-scratching-nail-biting rush that the players feel in that game room.
When I went in with my buddies for the first time, we were all over the place. Everyone was looking for clues, matching patterns, finding god knows what, to beat the clock. That timer keeps the energy up.
Movie Synopsis
The movie is centered around the concept of "missing" persons. The reason for their disappearance lies somewhere in the escape room mansion. The participants will unveil the mystery.
The host of the game room is perfectly dressed to introduce the theme and is creepy as hell.
The players are the father-daughter duo, whose bonding time will get a little freaky; they meet a couple. The girl seems to be an expert in such games, and the shady-looking guy appears to be intentionally planted among the players. Was he?
There are multiple rooms, each holding a different clue and puzzle type, leading to the next. The puzzles are interestingly conceptualized. It has the audience working on it alongside the actors.
(Spoiler Alert) I enjoyed the first room. No creeps there. The music CDs lead to the players understanding a clue. The same leads to a safe, which holds the key for the next room.
With teamwork and a calm approach, the father-daughter duo gets past the first hurdle. From here, the puzzles keep getting more challenging by the room. And not just more brutal. They get crazier too. The duo seems to be stuck in some hypnosis.
The players are tricked into loops and messed with. Each player ends up being separated from the other at some point and stuck in a weird time loop of some kind.
The end leaves you guessing on what just happened. Did the duo get out?
The movie seemed like some horror inception. You have to see it to know it.
But of course, it is a work of fiction, and the sheer terror you feel is the director's intention.
The horror effects added to the sequences are better than the 2017 version. It leaves the audience screaming at many spots, which is precisely what the feel of the movie should be.
Would you do it?
A real-life experience of the escape room will also leave you screaming at specific points. This makes the fun, honest, and addictive. Of course, there are no violence and tragic ends, except the one where you are unable to beat the clock. But that, too, makes you want to keep coming back for more.
The uniqueness of the puzzle made me want to be a part of the game. Being just an audience leaves you with the limitation of not having access to the clues. Thus, thinking is limited.
In a real escape room, you are right there between the clues. You are observing and brainstorming at the same time. Woah! It is almost like you are a part of a web series and film for the amazing brains and abilities you have.
Would you head out for a similarly themed game room? If this movie hooked you onto the concept of escape rooms and you wish to try one, we've got you covered!
Did you see the 2018 version of the movie and figure out what really happened there?
Share your thoughts!
