ESCAPE ROOM: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS (2021)

Directed By: Adam Robitel 

Written By: Will Honley, Maria Melnik, Daniel Tuch and Oren Uziel

Story By: Christine Lavaf and Fritz Boum

Based On Characters Created By: Bragi Schut 

Cinematography: Marc Spicer

Editor: Steve Mirkovich and Peter Pav

Cast: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Indya Moore, Holland Roden, Thomas Cocquerel, Carlito Oliver, Lucy Newman-Williams, Deborah Ann Woll 

Six people unwillingly find themselves locked in another series of escape rooms, slowly uncovering what they have in common to survive. Joining forces with two of the original survivors, they soon discover they’ve all played the game before.


This sequel just came along way too fast and you can tell as everything feels rushed on the plus side it gets to the point, but we considering we already know or most of us should know what’s to be expected. You don’t mind if we at least got to know more of the characters or the film offered something like a little more behind the scenes of how everything works.

Even as the film and it filmmaker, expect the audience already to know everything and like most equals just seems to get to the action, but then offers pretty much the same premise that the original film offered only this time the characters are more in the no, which is why one would guess that we don’t really get to know them

The film is not written by the first films writer. So it seems like they brought in a new writers trying to put a voice to someone else’s songs and while this is a common practice in Hollywood, it feels like maybe this new script is a little bit or chooses to be more pop when maybe it should’ve had a little more depth with the music and lyrics. 

though it could also be as there are four listed Screenwriter on this phone that everybody was overwriting each other, and then trying to make it simple, not to mention that the story for the film apparently needed two people to come up with it as that how how bonkers this film seems. 

Not to mention this a film that has a bigger budget, but still manages to look cheaper than the first film as truly here everything looks like it is happening on A set or on various sets throughout a studio lot

As we only really get to know the characters right before they perish, which seems to let the audience know what’s about to happen so the film doesn’t really offer any mystery. Which leaves it to be predictable and uninteresting for the most part.

Even towards the end of the film. It just seems to throw out familiar faces to keep the first films audience interested in how did that person get there?

The first escape room film was surprisingly fun and entertaining playing more like a guilty pleasure. This sequel feels like there was very little effort made. It feels more of a cash in that believes that it’s smarter than what it is, unfortunately wasting the cast, especially lead Taylor Russell, Holland Roden and Indya Moore. Talents and times

Grade: C-

DROP (2025)

Directed By: Christopher Landon 

Written By: Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach

Cinematography: Marc Spicer 

Editor: Ben Baudhuin

Cast: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violet Beane, Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Ryan, Sarah McCormack, Jeffrey Self, Ed Weeks

A widowed mother on her first date in years, who arrives at an upscale restaurant where she is relieved that her date, Henry is more charming and handsome than she expected. But their chemistry begins to curdle as Violet begins being irritated and then terrorized by a series of anonymous drops to her phone.

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This film was a major disappointment. As from the trailer It looked like it could be a little exciting, but more like kind of an event film that might be better seen on the big screen and maybe that’s true. Watching it at home on a regular screen, though I was willing to give it a chance as quite a few friends whose opinion I trusted recommended the film saying that it was fun seeing that it also got surprisingly really good reviews peaked my interest so I was excited to finally watch it

I could just never get into this film. I’ll admit the film kept me guessing as to who was behind it all that was through most of it while there were some fun twist the first half left me board and then it seems in the second half to go gonzo and go all over the top. 

Some of said that it’s like a modern day, Hitchcock thriller only with modern technology, and while I admit, using the technology in this thriller was original one of the things that didn’t work was, didn’t really care about the characters. There’s nothing wrong in their performances, even though the male lead played by  Brandon Sklenar was very boring And not that romantic or truly appealing

What was interesting about the film was the dynamic of not only the thriller element but also the power to control how an evening or date goes knowing what to reveal or how to behave to truly attract the other when usually most of us can be guarded in that first date as it is truly getting to know you, though there must be some kind of appeal I got you there in the first place.

Coming from Director Christopher Landon at this point he’s a filmmaker who feels a little late as most of his films come across as great high concept projects that for the most part Work but also seem to have a Debt to 80s and 90s films played in more modern times That sometimes work to their advantage as they are interesting stories, but the follow-through isn’t always as magical or appealing. He didn’t write this one either. 

As one loves a HAPPY DEATH DAY franchise, but his other films freaky in this film are good enough, but never quite when you over as much as freaky was violent horror that had a camping to it. This film tries to be more adult as a thriller, and tries to stay in the realm of reality, but it gets so ridiculous and never quite lean into that camping factor that it just comes off as silly and ridiculous at times not quite as Sterling as it is aiming for.

I think it’s a fine one time watch but it is very disposable and forgettable. Wish it had a stronger script, but then it might not be as loose for the audience is a popcorn movie through and through. That wasn’t for me, but I can see many enjoying. I just didn’t drink the Kool-Aid as the flavor was not to my liking.

Grade: C