If you’re a fan of psychological horror thrillers, you may recall catching Escape Room back in 2019. The film, which became a breakout hit upon release, centers on a group of friends who find themselves trapped in a series of deadly escape rooms. In the years since the movie’s release, fans have continued flocking to the original outing, praising it for its fun premise, shocking kill count and bloody execution. Today, the Escape Room franchise seems to have lost some steam, however, prompting many fans to wonder if there have been any follow-up films.
To the surprise of some, there was a sequel released in 2021, titled Escape Room: Tournament of Champions. While there’s currently no word on a third installment, it’s still worth looking into these two thrilling narratives and dissecting the material therein. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the Escape Room franchise, or simply considering checking the movies out for the first time, be sure to read ahead as we unpack the plot, characters and future of the series.
Does Zoey die in ‘Escape Room’?
The original Escape Room movie centers on a young woman named Zoey, a physics student who solves a complex puzzle cube delivered to her by a mysterious sender. After completing the puzzle, she is invited to participate in an elaborate escape room along with a group of other inquisitive puzzle solvers. The gang is promised a cash prize of $10,000 upon completion of the room, and shuffled into a waiting area for a business titled Minos. Once one of the participants attempts to leave the waiting area, however, the group realizes that the games have already begun. Together, they utilize their collective brain power to traverse several obstacles, including a giant oven-themed room, a snowed-in cabin and a vast lake coated in a thin layer of ice. One contestant slips through the ice at this juncture and drowns to death, signaling that these elaborate rooms are more than just puzzles – they’re life-or-death scenarios.
The players are shocked and horrified at this loss, though they quickly recognize that their only option is to keep moving. Additional contestants drop like flies as they travel through rooms themed after haunted hospitals, crashing airplanes and a massive billiards hall. Eventually, Zoey and the crew surmise that these rooms have been specifically designed to prey on their own insecurities and near-death experiences, making them even more stressful than your average killer escape room. The high-stress environment even causes a few players to turn against each other, resulting in additional casualties along the way. After several more obstacles, Zoey and Ben are the only remaining players. Just when it seems like there’s truly no escape, the duo manages to exit the entire simulation and meet the Gamemaster. The Gamemaster then explains that each room has been themed to effectively torture high-efficiency puzzle solvers, for the amusement of a viewing public of billionaire VIPs.
Enraged, Zoey and Ben kill the Gamemaster and leave the building with the intent of exposing the operation to the police. Unfortunately, when they return, they find that all evidence has been swiftly wiped from the area. Over the course of the next several months, Ben and Zoey hear news reports about their fallen partners, though each death has been staged to look like an accident of some sort. Together, they agree to follow this thread and take down Minos once and for all. In the end, the film ends on a cliffhanger, as the duo board a flight to New York to locate Minos HQ.
‘Escape Room’ movie review
If you’re generally a fan of horror thrillers, you’ll probably love Escape Room, even if the plot feels a bit absurd and well-tread. You might recognize that the entire thing feels like a reskinning of Netflix’s Squid Game, where contestants are made to play deadly childish games for a cash prize, as billionaire VIPs place bets on the winners. In truth, the whole adventure feels like it could be a Squid Game spinoff film, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Professional critics gave Escape Room mixed reviews when it released in theaters, resulting in a middling 51 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, fans from around the world have continued streaming the film on Netflix long after the theatrical hype has died down, demonstrating that there is a real audience for this kind of deadly adventure.
No matter how you look at it, it seems clear that Escape Room is an incomplete narrative without the addition of Tournament of Champions. When viewed as a double feature, you get the whole satisfying conclusion, without any unnecessary fluff wrought by Squid Game’s drawn-out second and third seasons. Chances are, you’ll know whether or not the Escape Room franchise is for you within the first 15 minutes of the first film. If you like it, be sure to make it a double feature and catch both installments back-to-back.
Is there an ‘Escape Room 2’?
The second installment, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, opens on Zoey and Ben as they make their way to New York. As soon as they land in the Big Apple, they are accosted by a mugger, whom they chase into a nearby subway station. Unfortunately, the duo quickly realizes that the whole encounter was an elaborate ruse, and that the subway station is actually the first in a new series of Minos Corp escape rooms.
As they work out the details of this subway puzzle, they meet several other contestants, who each reveal that they previously succeeded at a Minos escape facility, hence the ‘Tournament of Champions’ moniker. Much like in the first film, the gang begins solving puzzles and fending off deadly obstacles, while several of their compatriots die at each turn.
In the Tournament of Champions, the escape rooms consist of bank vaults, saunas and idyllic beach-front locales, none of which relate to the specific fears or traumas of the contestants. As Zoey traverses the game, she learns that all of these rooms correspond to a mysterious woman named Sonya. Eventually, she learns that Sonya was the daughter of Amanda Harper, a contestant who seemingly died during the events of the first film.
Apparently, Amanda is the latest puzzle maker to be taken captive by the Minos developers after she managed to survive her fall. The corporation kidnapped her daughter to force her to work for them, and she has left numerous Easter eggs throughout the puzzles to alert Zoey and the others to the situation.
Does Ben die?
Once Zoey escapes from the game, the others are left stranded. Thinking she’s the only remaining survivor, she confronts Amanda, who begs Zoey to take her place. Zoey refuses, and the Minos higher-ups reveal that they have kidnapped Ben for one last torturous trick. Ben is revealed to be trapped in a glass case that’s filling with water, forcing Zoey to reconsider her position. Steel in her resolve, she and Amanda join forces to smash the case and free Ben with improvised tools they have on hand.
After narrowly managing to escape from the facility, all three contestants report the corporation to the police, who arrive in time to discover the dead bodies of the other players. The police assure our heroes that the FBI will track down the Minos execs and hold them accountable before sending the trio back home.
In the final moments of the film, Zoey and Ben board an airplane to return home, confident that they are finally safe. Just as the flight takes off, however, Zoey notices a woman who looks eerily similar to her therapist. The flight ventures into the air, and a disturbing voice comes over the speakers, alerting Zoey to the fact that the entire plane is another Minos escape room. The film ends on a dour cliffhanger as the plane plunges downward, and poison gas fills the cabin. It’s safe to assume Zoey and Ben die on this flight, along with the other passengers, though there’s no definitive answer.
Is there an ‘Escape Room 3’?
Due to a number of factors, the future of the Escape Room franchise is currently unknown. Both the original and Tournament of Champions failed to truly wow critics, making the films something of a gamble for a major studio. Furthermore, the sequel film wrought diminishing returns in terms of audience interest, marking an expected end to the franchise.
Of course, many fans have pondered how it would be possible to continue at this point, since Tournament of Champions wraps up the story so effectively. It’s also hard to say how a third film would continue the narrative, as the extended director’s cut of Tournament of Champions completely reshapes the story. Filmmaker Adam Robitel has expressed interest in helming a future installment, though the likelihood of such a film coming to fruition grows more unlikely with each passing year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Escape Room movies are there?
At this time, there are only two films in the Escape Room franchise. Rumors have circulated regarding a third installment, though no official production has begun just yet.
Where can I watch Escape Room 2?
Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is currently streaming on Starz. The film can also be found on numerous streaming platforms such as Hulu, Sling TV and The Roku Channel, when paired with the Starz add-on.
