Earlier this year audiences were introduced to Escape Room. The movie focuses on six strangers who all receive a mysterious puzzle box that eventually pops out a business card for the Minos Escape Room Facility. The card provides an address and a notice that the winner will receive $10,000.00. With that financial motivation, the participants arrive to the ordinary looking high-rise. Upon checking in, they are asked to hand over their cell phones and to proceed to the third floor.

As our group of strangers learns early on, the game started as soon as they all arrived to the room on the third floor.  With some quick thinking, they work together to escape the first room.  If you are familiar with and a fan of the Saw or Final Destination franchises, then you will enjoy this film. But unlike Saw, our group is working together, not fighting to save themselves.

The opening sequence of Escape Room is a page out of the Saw textbook. We see someone attempting to solve a puzzle before time runs out, a life or death situation. What happens next is we see our cast progress through rooms where they need to solve puzzles and find a way out if they want to survive.

Again, we see the similarities to other franchises. The action is quick and while they are frantically trying to solve the puzzles, we do learn more about our participants and possibly why someone has chosen them to play this twisted game.  The six individuals all come from various backgrounds yet the one thing that ties them together is that they are lone survivors in tragic accidents and events.

Some of the effects in the movie are well done and I was impressed. Similar to some other reviews I have read, I agree that the cast and story concept was strong, however, it was too similar to other franchises to really be a hit. It lacked in originality. The writers could have done so much more with this premise but fell short.

I did enjoy the film overall, except when it came to the last ten minutes. Like other reviews, it really was ridiculous and in essence just set us up for a sequel. No surprise, it has been confirmed that a sequel has been announced for an April 2020 release.

Would I recommend Escape Room? If you can’t get out to experience a real escape room, then sure, check this one out. But to this viewer, it is just a Saw rip off, minus the gore and strange pig masks.

6/10 rating.