Movie · 2019 · Horror, Thriller, Mystery · 1h 39m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.1/10 (162.8K ratings)
Find the clues or die.
Overview
Six strangers find themselves in circumstances beyond their control, and must use their wits to survive.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.1/10
IMDb: 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 51%
Metacritic: 48
TMDB: 6.5/10
Director
Adam Robitel
Production
Columbia Pictures, Original Film
Cast
Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Jay Ellis, Deborah Ann Woll, Nik Dodani, Tyler Labine, Yorick van Wageningen, Cornelius Geaney Jr., Russell Crous, Bart Fouche, Jessica Sutton, Paul Hampshire, Vere Tindale, Kenneth Fok, Caely-Jo Levy, Jamie-Lee Money, Jeremy Jess Boado, Inge Beckmann, Carl Coetzee, Katheryn Griffiths
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A slick, concept-first thriller with enough puzzle-box momentum and trap-room spectacle to satisfy fans of disposable survival horror, but it loses steam as the mythology expands and the ending undercuts the tighter setup. Best approached as a fast, gamey genre ride rather than a fully satisfying mystery.
Best for
viewers who enjoy Saw-style death games and elaborate set pieces
fans of contained survival thrillers
people looking for a brisk, easy-to-watch horror movie with a high-concept hook
Skip if
you want airtight plotting or a strong ending
you dislike contrived horror premises
you prefer character-driven suspense over gimmicky trap mechanics
Overview
Escape Room is built on a simple, effective premise: strangers, locked spaces, escalating hazards, and a race to solve the next clue before the room kills them. That setup gives the movie a clean, propulsive rhythm, and it knows how to stage a few nasty, crowd-pleasing set pieces. The cast is solid enough to keep the thing moving, even when the script leans on familiar backstory beats and genre shorthand.
Worth noting
What holds it back is that it starts to feel less clever the longer it runs. The early rooms are the strongest part, because they sell the idea of a deadly puzzle as a physical, immediate threat. Once the film broadens into explanation and franchise-building, the tension thins and the logic gets shakier.
Bottom line
Still, as a piece of mainstream horror entertainment, it does its job. If you want a polished, moderately nasty, low-commitment thriller with a few memorable traps, it’s easy to recommend in the moment, even if it doesn’t stick the landing.
Top Letterboxd reviews
ava adore (4★) · 3932 likes
Have You Ever Considered Maybe The Possibility That You Suck And The Movie Doesn’t or Stop Fucking Rating A Creative Nice Horror Movie Low Because You’re Boring
Chris Evangelista (2.5★) · 2567 likes
This comes SO CLOSE to being a surprisingly good movie. And then the last 15 or so minutes completely shit the bed.
Rachel Rhodes · 1848 likes
Zoey and Amanda were gay as fuck.
Lucy (1.5★) · 1772 likes
me in the escape room: deborah ann woll i’m gonna get you outta here