Escape Room: Tournament of Champions

Movie Trailer

Release Date
July 16, 2021

Genre
Horror, Thriller, Mystery

Cast & Crew

• Taylor Russell as Zoey Davis
• Logan Miller as Ben Miller
• Indya Moore as Brianna Collier
• Holland Roden as Rachel Ellis
• Thomas Cocquerel as Nathan
• Carlito Olivero as Theo
• James Frain as Henry
• Isabelle Fuhrman as Claire

Director
Adam Robitel

Other Movies Director is Known For

• Escape Room (2019)
• Insidious: The Last Key (2018)
• The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)

Producer

• Neal H. Moritz
• Oren Uziel
• Daniel Tuch
• Logan Fields

Writer

• Will Honley
• Maria Melnik
• Daniel Tuch
• Oren Uziel

Budget
$15 million

Production Company

• Columbia Pictures
• Original Film
• Shaken, Not Stirred Productions

Running Time
88 minutes

Languages
English

Maturity Rating
PG-13

Content Advisory

• Intense sequences of peril
• Violence
• Some language
• Horror elements

Movie Story
Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is the sequel to the 2019 psychological horror film Escape Room. The movie picks up where the first film left off, following survivors Zoey Davis (Taylor Russell) and Ben Miller (Logan Miller) as they continue to search for answers about the mysterious Minos Corporation, which orchestrated the deadly escape rooms.

Determined to expose the truth behind Minos, Zoey convinces Ben to accompany her to New York City, where they believe they can find evidence of the company’s operations. However, they soon find themselves trapped in another series of elaborate and deadly escape rooms, along with four other strangers who also survived previous escape rooms. The group quickly realizes they are all “champions” of past Minos games, pitted against each other in a high-stakes tournament designed to push them to their limits.

As the group navigates through a series of increasingly dangerous and mind-bending rooms, they must use their wits and work together to survive. Each room is more deadly and complex than the last, forcing the survivors to confront their fears and traumas while solving intricate puzzles. As the tension builds, secrets are revealed, alliances are tested, and the true nature of the Minos Corporation comes into focus.

The film delves deeper into the dark and twisted world of Minos, exploring how the company manipulates and controls its victims. The elaborate traps and deadly scenarios keep the audience on edge, as the characters are forced to make life-or-death decisions in a race against time.

Special Effects
The special effects in Escape Room: Tournament of Champions are crucial to bringing the film’s elaborate and dangerous escape rooms to life. The movie features a variety of rooms, each with its own unique design and deadly challenge, including an electrified subway car, a beach with sinking sand, and a laser-filled bank vault. The visual effects and practical effects teams worked together to create environments that are both visually striking and intensely perilous. The effects heighten the suspense and tension, making the escape rooms feel like real, tangible threats to the characters.

Box Office Performance
Escape Room: Tournament of Champions grossed approximately $51.8 million worldwide, performing modestly at the box office given its budget and the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film appealed to fans of the original, offering more of the suspenseful and intense puzzle-solving action that made the first movie a hit. Its performance solidified the Escape Room franchise as a popular entry in the horror-thriller genre.

Filming Locations

• Cape Town, South Africa

Notable Quotes

• “This isn’t about getting out. It’s about getting back at us.” – Zoey Davis
• “We all know how this works. Solve the puzzles, or we die.” – Ben Miller
• “We’re all survivors. We’ve been through this before.” – Rachel Ellis

Behind-the-Scenes
Director Adam Robitel returned to helm the sequel, continuing the story of Zoey and Ben as they navigate the deadly escape rooms created by the Minos Corporation. The production team aimed to up the ante with the sequel, designing even more complex and dangerous rooms for the characters to escape from. The film was shot on location in South Africa, with the production team building elaborate sets to create the various escape rooms featured in the movie. The filmmakers sought to maintain the suspense and tension that characterized the first film while expanding the mythology of the Minos Corporation.

Awards
While Escape Room: Tournament of Champions did not receive major award nominations, it was recognized within the horror community for its inventive escape room designs and suspenseful storytelling. The film garnered a positive response from fans of the genre, particularly for its engaging puzzles and thrilling sequences.

Final Verdict
Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is a suspenseful and fast-paced thriller that delivers on the promise of its predecessor. With its creative and deadly escape room designs, the film keeps audiences on the edge of their seats as the characters navigate one perilous challenge after another. While the movie may not break new ground in the horror genre, it offers plenty of tension, surprises, and inventive traps to satisfy fans of the first film. The expanded mythology of the Minos Corporation adds depth to the story, making it an engaging sequel that leaves the door open for future installments in the franchise.

IMDb Rating
5.7/10