Getting yourself locked in a room and having to puzzle your way out of it isn't everyone's idea of fun. But you can see why the on-trend adventure game should appeal to horror filmmakers as a plot device.

Escape Room (2017), directed by Will Wernick, takes a great concept and wastes it on mediocre execution. The movie struggles right from the start, with a painfully slow first half that does little to engage or build any meaningful tension. The character decisions often feel illogical and forced, making it hard to connect with their situations or take the stakes seriously. While the escape room premise had potential for creativity and suspense, the direction and pacing miss the mark, leaving the whole setup feeling flat and uninspired. The production quality doesn’t help matters either. The sets and cinematography come across as average at best, lacking the polish or clever design you’d expect from a movie relying so heavily on its environment. It’s clear the budget was limited, but the lack of creativity in working around those constraints is disappointing. Overall, it’s a forgettable experience that fails to deliver on its premise.

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