A Killer Surprise: This Thriller Just Snuck Into Netflix’s Top 10
Even though it feels like a million years, 2019 was, in all reality, not that long ago. Yet, time (and a global pandemic) has a way of brushing some particular films or TV shows under the rug. Even when they don’t necessarily deserve it. Then, suddenly, these films wake up, bite back, and refuse to let go. That’s exactly what happened this week when Escape Room, Adam Robitel’s tense, puzzle-driven survival thriller, slid onto Netflix and into the Top 10.
Clocking in at a beautiful 100 minutes, Escape Room follows six strangers waking to find themselves trapped in a series of elaborately designed rooms where each puzzle is a test, and failure is not an option. Brought together by a mysterious invitation that looks like it was designed by Pinhead himself, the group of “lucky” contestants must pool their wits and confront buried secrets as the rooms escalate from clever to cruel. What starts as an adrenaline-fueled mystery quickly becomes a race to outthink a sadistic Gamemaster and survive long enough to learn why they were chosen.
Part of what makes Escape Room such a fun watch is the surprisingly strong ensemble cast. Taylor Russell stars as Zoey, the film’s emotional anchor, and has since tackled even darker material like Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All. As Ben, Logan Miller brings the scrappy, horror-comedy energy that those familiar with Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse will recognize. Deborah Ann Woll, from True Blood and Netflix’s Daredevil, is always a welcome face on screen and delivers the kind of committed, physical performance as Amanda that makes the movie’s set-piece terror believable. And let’s not forget Tyler Labine from Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, who brings some levity as a truck driver named Mike.
The other huge selling point that makes Escape Room an easy movie to push play on is the film’s incredible production design. Despite technically being a largely one-location thriller, Robitel packs a wallop of a punch into that fact. Each room’s environment is meticulously built, so the set pieces feel less like props and more like hostile characters. Tactile, cage-like puzzles escalate from tricky to nightmarish, with practical effects and clever mechanics that force the actors (and us as the audience) to scrutinize every corner for a clue.
Robitel and his production team lean hard into texture and mood, featuring heavy lighting, claustrophobic framing, and playful touches that make each themed trap super memorable. It’s production design that transcends mere set dressing; everything in frame can be a clue…or a threat. And it’s a whole lot of fun figuring out which of the two options it is.
While this resurgence in popularity for Escape Room may initially seem a little surprising, there are a few pre-existing factors working in its favor. For one, the movie was an unexpected hit when it first came out. Produced on a modest $9 million budget, the movie raked in over $155 million worldwide. Not too shabby, considering it was dumped in January. A follow-up was then released in 2021 called Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, which reunites some survivors and expands on the lore established in the original film even further.
Short enough to enjoy in one sitting, Escape Room is a perfect low-commitment nightmare to queue up. Whether you missed it in theaters or just need a little refresher, Netflix has officially made it stupidly easy to jump back in and see why this little puzzle movie is suddenly back at the center of the conversation and climbing the charts.
Categorized: News
