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Escape Room (2019)

Jay Ellis sucks at acting. Oh wait, I shouldn’t start this piece of like that and I’m not allowed to criticize non-white people on their acting. They’ve suffered enough in Hollywood. Let’s start over.

I hate escape rooms because I’m not a great problem solver but boy do I love watching semi-intelligent people figure things out ten seconds before they’re about to die. This movie uses Saw as a stepping stone and this concept eventually gets perfected by Squid Game. I understand there are many other ‘Escape Room’ films out there but they all well…. frankly suck. Is Shawshank in this category? Oldboy? Escape from Alcatraz? Don’t pull at this thread; stay focused.

The 2019 “Escape Room” is unique due to the entertainment value provided by each puzzle. A series of characters being handpicked to perform tasks in the face of death is Storytelling 101, but the spectacle lies within the ambience of the rooms, the way each person dies, and the potential collaborative effort that makes your heart warm juxtaposed with that one asshole who gets too competitive.

There is not much to say about the actors; it’s irrelevant. Director notes include: be afraid, scream a lot, let’s typecast a skinny nerdy Indian kid, and antagonize the man who is addicted to cigs… Action!

Check out this underrated thrill ride and focus on the burning fire or the piercing ice rather than the writing. You will have a good time!