by Zhiqi Wang
Escape rooms are not new to Singaporeans as they have been around for at least a couple of years, serving as a reliable source of entertainment for family and friends. However, things can be very different when failing to escape literally means losing your life. As a continuation of the hit psychological thriller Escape Room (2019) that terrified audiences around the world, the follow-up movie definitely kept its standard high.
In this installment, six people unwittingly find themselves locked in another series of escape rooms, slowly uncovering what they have in common to survive, and discovering they’ve all played the game before.
Set in various everyday scenes, Escape Room 2: Tournament of Champions gently introduces the audience into the fascinating world of escape rooms. From public transport to banks to a busy road junction, nothing was what they seemed to be, and both the audience and characters (at least initially) didn’t think anything out of the ordinary.
For thriller lovers, this film definitely has the audience at the edge of their seats as we imagine ourselves as the characters in the film.Some of the puzzles and riddles can be really ingenious as I often caught myself marvelling at how they were designed. For me, the technologies used and how they were used was perhaps the best part of the movie.
Of course, no escape movie is complete without the themes of friendships and loyalty. Many of the characters go out of their way to save their friends, even those whom they barely know, and it certainly reminds us of the camaraderie we all had back in school (especially pre-Covid). Friendships can be really difficult to maintain in this day and age, so perhaps it’s a good idea to jio a couple of friends for the movie.
I would definitely recommend this movie to fans of escape rooms (obviously) and all those who like thrillers with a mystery twist.
Escape Room 2: Tournament of Champions is out now.
