Escape Room

Breaking the tradition of subpar horrors dumped by studios in the wastelands of January, Escape Room is a film that promises little but packs a surprisingly effective punch – a multiplex-friendly version of Cube. Zoey (Russell) is a college student with a head for puzzles and an empty social calendar. When she receives a cryptic invitation to participate in a new escape room, she finds herself among an odd assortment of teammates who quickly discover that this particular escape room is more dangerous than it looks. They must work together to survive, even if it means sharing their own personal traumas. Worth the price of admission for its visuals alone (a sequence in an upside-down pool hall is a standout), what cements the film’s status as a rock-solid studio horror release is the acting, especially Woll and the criminally underappreciated Labine.