Before streaming “Escape Room,” I only knew a couple of things about it. Firstly, it’s a high-concept survival thriller that traps a group of strangers in deadly, puzzle-filled rooms. Secondly, I knew it had been successful enough at the box office to spawn a sequel, “Tournament of Champions,” which ultimately underperformed.
Even with that in mind, I was pleasantly surprised by how gripping and entertaining the first movie remains. So when I spotted it in Netflix’s lineup for September 2025, I felt compelled to write about it.
The story follows six strangers navigating fiendishly designed rooms where every decision could be fatal. While the sequel leaned more heavily into spectacle and fell flat with critics and audiences, both movies share clever, tension-filled set pieces that keep you invested.
“Escape Room” and its sequel may have garnered muddled reviews (just check the ugly green splats on Rotten Tomatoes), but they deliver enough suspense and a relentless pace that makes them hard to turn away from. Now that Netflix U.S. has added the first movie to its library, here’s why it’s worth a spot on your watchlist.
What is ‘Escape Room’ about?
“Escape Room” follows six strangers — Zoey (Taylor Russell), Ben (Logan Miller), Jason (Jay Ellis), Amanda (Deborah Ann Woll), Danny (Nik Dodani), and Mike (Tyler Labine) — who are each invited to participate in an immersive escape room experience with the promise of a large cash prize.
Initially intrigued by the challenge, they soon realize that the rooms are far deadlier than they anticipated. Each room is meticulously designed with elaborate puzzles, forcing the group to rely on logic, intuition and teamwork to survive.
As they progress, the dangers escalate, testing their physical and mental limits. One by one, the players confront life-threatening obstacles, from crushing walls to freezing temperatures, and must make split-second decisions to stay alive.
‘Escape Room’ locks you in with thrills that bite
The biggest compliment I can give “Escape Room” is that the set pieces are genuinely so impressive that you’ll get lost in the puzzles yourself.
Every new room the characters encounter offers something to marvel at, and despite the lingering tension over whether these poor people will make it, you can’t help but admire how far the game’s creators went to make it immersive.
It’s clear that set design was crucial for the story, as each room feels like a movie in itself, with its own distinct atmosphere and challenges. Even the first room, which is made to feel like a waiting area, ramps up the tension into something incredibly claustrophobic. I don’t want to spoil what each room holds, but the set is by far the best part of “Escape Room,” and you’ll find yourself eagerly watching to see what comes next.
What’s more, each room is crafted to challenge the participants in ways that reflect their personal histories, making it all the more thrilling to watch how the characters react when past traumas resurface.
While this survival thriller is visually stunning and packed with tension to keep you invested, several important aspects unfortunately don’t work. That includes the lack of real personality in the characters, exposition-heavy dialogue, and uneven pacing when exploring the rooms. Some rooms feel overlong, while others seem rushed, which undercuts the suspense.
To put it simply, you won’t necessarily “care” deeply about the characters, but you’ll be curious to see what happens to each of them as the games progressively get harder. The only real bond worth exploring is between the shy but intelligent Zoey and the anxious Ben, who seem like the only decent people.
Still, I don’t think “Escape Room” deserved the rating that it got. It sits at 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, which isn’t bad, but I think the movie’s design and tension is enough to make it a genuinely fun survival thriller. The site’s critics consensus reads: “Escape Room fails to unlock much of the potential in its premise, but what's left is still tense and thrilling enough to offer a passing diversion for suspense fans.”
Stream ‘Escape Room’ on Netflix now
If you’re in the mood for a survival thriller that has clever design, inventive challenges, and escalating tension, “Escape Room” is the perfect pick.
Each sequence is elaborately constructed, keeping you guessing about what kind of dangers the characters will face next. Even when the story leans on familiar tropes and asks for some suspension of disbelief, the movie’s energy and creativity make it compelling to watch. The puzzles themselves are almost characters in their own right, with each room offering new twists that demand attention.
For anyone who enjoys a fast-moving thrill ride, “Escape Room” is well worth streaming on Netflix. Otherwise, check out these dark thriller movies on Netflix instead.
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