Escape Room

The 2017 movie Escape Room is an interesting blend of mystery, drama, and intensive psychological thriller. Directed by Will Wernick, the movie features actors like Evan Williams, Annabelle Stephenson, and Elisabeth Hower delivering riveting performances. The plot is exhibited masterfully, unraveling in unexpected ways and leaving viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

The film centers around a group of friends - Tyler (Evan Williams), Christen (Elisabeth Hower), and Natasha (Annabelle Stephenson). Tyler's girlfriend, Christen, is a reserved, introvert kind of girl who’s struggling to find excitement in her life. Her social anxiety makes it hard for her to engage in group activities, creating distance among her and Tyler's friends. To help her overcome this, Tyler has a peculiar birthday surprise for Christen: an escape room game. Here, perfect thrill meets perfect chance for teamwork.

In Escape Room, the audience gets to follow these three friends and others as they attempt to solve a set of challenging puzzles in a staged but realistic-looking setting to churn out a grand prize of $1 million. What was initially intended to be a fun night of thrill and camaraderie turns into the group’s biggest nightmare as they’re thrust into a world of uncertainty and danger. The escape room isn't what it seems, feeding off their deepest fears and personal secrets. The walls begin to close in, both literally and figuratively, as the game shifts from an exciting adventure into a treacherous, deadly trap.

While the roles might initially seem stereotypical, with Williams playing the 'hero' boyfriend and Stephenson as the 'party-hard' best friend, each character is fleshed out as the movie progresses. The actors, just like the characters they play, are challenged by the unfolding plot, demonstrating remarkable chemistry through hardships and the need to overcome debilitating fear.

The acting, characterized by palpable anxiety and nail-biting suspense, breathes life into the thrilling plot. The foremost strength of this movie is the psychological aspect of fear, how it functions, and how the characters react when their deepest horrors confront them, all featured in the confines of an escape room. The struggles seem real, the fear authentic, and the sense of entrapment inescapable.

A notable aspect of Escape Room is its cinematography. The visuals are done incredibly well, creating an eerie and claustrophobic environment that is effective in emphasizing the escalating tension throughout the film. The color palette, production design, and atmospheric lighting work harmoniously to instill an impending sense of doom, amplifying the overall edginess of the narrative.

The movie plays with themes of trust, friendship, courage, and survival. The group dynamics are continuously challenged and evolve as the plot unfurls, showing us a fresh perspective on how extreme circumstances can test the boundaries of human relationships. It is an intense exploration of human psychology, emotions, and the primal instinct to survive.

Despite seeming like a straightforward thriller at face-value, Escape Room digs deeper and puts its characters into situations that foster character development. There's a sense of relatability that develops as the viewer inevitably asks themselves how they would react in those same, harrowing circumstances – a key element that earns it rave reviews.

Escape Room may not be the first movie to venture into a fear-facing, survival-seeking plot, but it stands out with its unending twists and turns, realistically flawed characters, and nail-biting suspense. It demands the viewer's attention from the very beginning, puzzling and terrifying them in equal measures.

To sum up, Escape Room is a thrilling journey sprinkled with unsettling scares and consistent suspense. It caters simultaneously to lovers of intricate puzzles and psychological thrillers, providing a fresh take on the escape-room genre. With its anxiety-inducing plot, remarkable performances, and touching upon themes of fear, it's worth watching for those seeking a memorable cinematic experience. Properly articulated characters, relentless suspense, and a beautifully-directed sequence of events set this film apart in its genre, compelling enough to keep the audience captivated to the very end.