I understand the reasoning, but the “passion play” elements are so effective that the movie ends on a note of pity more than excitement. Escape Room is a (now-two-film) franchise centered on a young Black woman “just because.”Įscape Room 2 doesn’t quite end on its best foot, spending too much time on overly elaborate wrap-up and (very slight spoiler) sequel set-up. Escape Room 2 is a good example of how horror films have long been rooted in the stories of non-white protagonists and folks of “lower” economic stature way before such onscreen diversity became a defining media-friendly talking point. While the baddies are essentially faceless corporate monsters, Taylor Russell’s Zoey Davis remains something approaching a “marquee hero,” as the entire cast offers a casual inclusivity which would cause a bazillion think pieces if it were a Disney superhero movie. And the game cast (including franchise newbies Indya Moore, Holland Roden, Thomas Cocquerel and Isabelle Fuhrman) commit to the bit, while Escape Room further sets itself apart by rooting itself in its heroes rather than its villains. Like some of the kookier Saw sequels, the traps are sometimes too clever for their own good, with circumstances that don’t give enough time for anyone to “make a choice.” Still, in terms of art direction and production design, the key locations get the job done. There’s less foreboding and grim realization as the competitors have little time to take stock in the situation or make qualitative decisions before having to avoid the next fatal countdown. The expanded and “improved” traps are almost too frantic and the pace too quick. The traps themselves are bigger, more perilous and often wonkier than from the first film. This is a horror film where the very idea of untimely death is tragic and horrific no matter how that life comes to an end. The sequel further solidifies the series as a horror franchise rooted in the avoidance of death rather than the grotesque loss of life, which makes the periodic sting of death that much more painful. While not exactly the Ted Lasso of horror films, there’s a unique optimism to watching this team of survivors relentlessly try to save each other and not just themselves. There is bruised-forearm tension regarding whether the elaborate “escape rooms” will claim a member of the cast, and genuine sadness when a victim doesn’t make it. Moreover, by not falling into an And Then There Were None template with a regularly scheduled death every ten minutes, the unpredictability of its set-ups, pay-offs and near-misses creates genuine suspense. The justly PG-13 film is almost gore-free. However, when your first film earns decent reviews, strong buzz and 17x its budget in global theatrical alone, you don’t fix what seemingly isn’t broken. I wish it were less sequel-friendly, but I expected that going in, since that was my one big qualm with the first film. But once the movie gets where you want it to go, it fires on all cylinders right up until the admittedly overwrought climax.
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