Escape Room [Movie Review]

Last weekend, just to kill time before attending a wedding reception at Le Meridien Putrajaya, I managed to watch Escape Room at the earliest show available (also because the tix is only RM10 before noon. Yeay to my new year resolution to start saving more).

I picked Escape Room because I liked the trailers and also I have read the raving reviews of the movie.
SYNOPSIS

Escape Room Trivia

• Directed by: AdamRobitel

• Produced by: Neal H. Moritz, Ori Marmur

• Production companies: Columbia Pictures, Original Film

• Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing

• Running time: 100 minutes

• Budget: $9 million

• After the death of five Polish teenagers, killed by fire in a real life tragedy which occurred within an Escape Room in Poland, the release date of this movie was pushed back a few months in a number of countries, out of respect for the girls who were killed

• Box Office: $64.4 million 

• Metascore: 49

• IMDb: 6.4/ 10

• Tomatometer: 54%

The movie started with Ben struggling to solve the clues in order to get out of the cramping room. Then the scenes flash back to three days before the incident where it shows Ben as the struggling stockboy, the shy university student Zoey and the up and coming young trader Jason going through their daily routine. 

The Hot Waiting Puzzle Room

Each of them receives a black box the day after. While Zoey manages to open the box, Jason and Ben manage to accidentally open theirs. At the end of the puzzle, they are all gifted with an invitation to the Minos Escape Room Facility for a chance to win $10,000, upon their successful escape from the room. 
At the facility, they meet three other contestants, Amanda (a war veteran), Mike (a former miner) and Danny (an escape room enthusiast). With different living style and clashing attitudes, it was not long before the situation in the room become tense. As Ben tries to leave the room, the door handle breaks off, leaving all of them locked inside the room. When they try to break the room, suddenly the room becomes a huge oven and the temperature starts to rise. Together, they figure the puzzle out and manage to escape the room, just in time as the room erupts in flames.
Still thinking that they are in a game and no life will be lost, the party indulge with the game and try to solve the next puzzle room, the cabin room. Ben solves the clue and as they rejoice for their being out of the cabin, the door shuts close, leaving them out of the cabin in the tundra. Solving the puzzle together, the party manage to reel in a cube of ice containing a key from a fishing hole. When Danny walks toward the lighter that Ben tosses to assist in melting the ice, suddenly the ice breaks and Danny falls through. The party frantically try to save Danny but to no success as the undercurrent was strong. Then the rest realise that the game will cost them their lives if they are not careful. 

The Cabin Puzzle Room

The Inverted Bar Puzzle Room

After the tundra, the group will have to face and solve  'the inverted bar puzzle room', 'the hospital ward puzzle room' and 'the optical illusion room' together.
Will the group stay together and save one another or will greed and survival take over?
MY REVIEW Plot: 4.9/ 5.0. It was GREAT! The plot and twists keep me on toes throughout the movie. It was so engaging that you feel like you are a part of the movie (well, at least I feel that way). You will only learn about the whole plot at the very end of the movie - so you are welcome to guess the plot from the start. 
Cast: 4.8/ 5.0. I do not recognize any of them but every single one is very marvellous in delivering their character! 
Will I watch it again: Yeah! I don't mind watching this movie again. The pictures are taken from IMDb and other sources on the Internet. Thank you.
Rawlins GLAM
012.280.1977