Escape room movies are films that blend the elements of isolation and survival games and require participants to solve puzzles to escape. Most movies in the genre increase tension by adding traps, interpersonal conflicts, time limits, and even death for failure to escape. Examples of escape room movies include Breathing Room, Saw, and The Maze Runner. Through these films, participants will experience the thrill of being in an escape room.
These movies are escape game themed entertainment, similar to escape room board games and escape games in VR.
This list includes:
- the best escape room movies
- escape room films
- movies like escape room
- puzzle room movies
Here we go!
Scary escape room movies
1. Saw (2004)
Two men find themselves in a room with a pool of blood between them. The two players will uncover clues that will reveal the reasons behind the captivity. Participants will watch as the two players discover items in their rooms and see the sacrifices the men make to escape. Saw tops the list of the best escape room films for participants who enjoy horror and psychological torture-themed films. There is little chance of escape, making Saw one of the best scary escape room movies.
Check out Saw.
2. Saw II (2005)
Saw II is a sequel to Saw (2004) and fits into the escape game subgenre. Jigsaw is in detention, and detective Eric Matthews is interrogating the criminal. However, the detective soon learns that Jigsaw’s arrest is part of his evil plan. Matthew discovers a group of people locked inside a house with several riddles and traps. Among the eight players are detective Eric Matthew’s son. Detective Eric must also play one of Jigsaw’s games to see his son again. Most traps in the film require participants’ sacrifice and pain to escape, with twists that escape room movie enthusiasts will love.
Check out Saw II.
3. Breathing Room (2008)
If you love thriller escape room movies, then you will enjoy Breathing Room. A woman finds herself locked in a room with a group of 13 strangers. She must play a deadly game to escape while trying to figure out the reasons behind the abduction. With every group member wearing a deadly collar that will kill players instantly if they attempt to escape, only the last person to survive will be free. The players will use the hidden clues to learn about other participants. Breathing Room is a great escape movie for thriller lovers.
Check out Breathing Room.
4. Cube (1997)
Cube is a horror sci-fi escape room movie featuring five strangers who wake up in a cubicle without memory recollection. This escape room movie features several identical rooms where some areas have deadly traps. The room has a hatch that rotates frequently, and the only variance between the rooms is the color. To escape, the group must find the correct hatch by deciphering a series of numbers. If a participant chooses the wrong cube, then the selection is their last.
Check out Cube.
5. Fermat’s Room
Fermat’s Room is a Spanish Claustrophic escape room. Fermat invites four mathematicians to a remote warehouse and asks them to solve complex numerical problems. Each participant arrives at the venue alone and without a cell phone. As the four players solve the puzzles, they realize they do not know why they are in the warehouse. The room’s walls begin closing up on them, and not even piles of furniture can prevent the walls from closing. From mysteries to revenge killings and romantic history, Fermat’s Room is an excellent option for participants looking for scary escape room movies.
Check out Fermat’s Room.
6. Escape Room (2019)
Escape Room tops the list of horror escape films. The film features six participants from different backgrounds who have a puzzle cube. As the six players solve the puzzle, they enter an escape room competition where the winner gets a $10,000 prize. The escape rooms feature a winter cabin and a giant heating room. From lucky escapes to bizarre deaths such as choking due to poisonous gas and drowning, Escape Room shows an extreme version of an escape room experience.
Check out Escape Room.
7. Jigsaw (2017)
If you love Saw, then you should check out the eighth installment in the franchise, Jigsaw. The horror film follows a group of people who must participate in deadly games inside a barn just as detectives begin finding bodies that have met a gruesome end. All the evidence for the murders points to John Kramer, a man who has been dead for ten years. You will enjoy police murder investigations, gory deaths, and participants working together to solve deadly puzzles in consecutive rooms. In the end, you may feel that the twists are unfair or unexpected.
Check out Jigsaw.
8. No Escape Room (2018)
No Escape Room turns the genre on its head by exploring the ideas of escape rooms that can not be escaped. This film is part fantasy horror, part jump-scare and all fun. You and your squad will enjoy watching this movie and following the unexpected twists. The movie was originally made for TV and is not available on Netflix and other platforms.
Check out No Escape Room.
Good escape room movies
9. Play or Die (2019)
Play or Die is a great film for escape room movie beginners. The plot revolves around Lucas, who takes part in a game when invited by Chloe, his ex-wife. In the game called Paranoia, the winner will take home one million euros. Among other participants, Chloe and Lucas will play the game at an abandoned hospital. However, there are two untold rules: one of the two participants will die, and nothing is real. Play or Die has thrilling twists as the game continues, and the finale raises more questions than you would expect.
Check out Play or Die.
10. Countdown (2019)
The plot of the Countdown centers around an app that reveals the exact time when a person will die. Initially, college students discovered the app. Once they download the app, one student learns that she will die in a few hours. A local hospital nurse also finds out about the app from her boyfriend, whose countdown is imminent. Once the nurse downloads the app, she discovers that she only has three days to live. While she does not believe the prediction, her boyfriend dies, and only then does she suspect that the app could be real. An attempt to remove the app fails. Alongside other players, the nurse tries to get to the bottom of the app and beat the countdown. You can watch Countdown to reveal if and how the players eliminate the supernatural evil.
Check out Countdown.
11. Don’t Breathe (2016)
Don’t Breathe is a mystery, horror, and thriller film that features three Detroit thieves. Rocky, Money, and Alex discover that a blind veteran has a significant cash settlement after the death of his child. Figuring that the man is an easy target since he is blind, the three set out to invade the man’s house, which is located in an isolated neighborhood. Once the trio gets into the house, they find themselves trapped inside. A series of events will reveal to the trio that they underestimated the blind man. The young intruders will endure horror and mystery as they strive to escape the seemingly helpless victim’s home. Like the title, you may find yourself holding your breath as the blind man’s capabilities unveil. With the suspense in Don’t Breathe carefully built, the film tops the list of good escape room movies.
Check out Don’t Breathe.
12. The Maze Runner (2014)
The Maze Runner is a mystery, Sci-Fi, and action film where players are subjects of an experiment. With memories wiped, Thomas finds himself in a new world with a set of thirty boys. None of the players can recall their past lives or how they got to the glade. The players will soon learn to survive on their supplies and agriculture. The group stays in the glade for three years, and a new boy arrives every thirty days. Soon, a girl who has a strange note arrives, and the group has new hopes of escaping the enclosed environment. Since no one has ever escaped the Glade, players must be smart to outrun the danger.
Check out The Maze Runner.
13. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Jumanji is a fantasy, comedy, and adventure film where four teenagers play a magical video game. The twist is that the only way for the players to escape is by finishing the game. The game, which has a jungle setting, requires participants to complete it to return to the real world. However, it is a dangerous adventure, and if any player loses in the game, they will die in real life. The players will soon discover that ending a curse on Jumanji is the only way to survive.
Check out Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
14. Panic Room (2002)
Panic Room is a mystery and thriller film that features a brutal home invasion. Newly divorced Meg and her daughter Sarah realize that there are invaders in their new home. The two hide in the panic room, a hidden chamber that serves as a sanctuary in case of a break-in. However, hiding in the panic room may not be a good idea since the bearer bonds that the intruders want are inside the sanctuary. Junior, Burnham, and Raoul want to steal bearer bonds inside the panic room. The film offers immense thrills from the use of propane gas, disconnected telephone lines, and a vicious fight. Panic Room’s suspense and tension make the film a good recommendation for persons looking for good escape room movies.
Check out Panic Room.
Clever escape room movies
15. The Purge (2013)
As America experiences a high level of crime, the government sanctions an annual 12-hour period where any crime is legal. During this period, the hospitals are non-functional, and you cannot call the police to report a crime or access emergency services. On the night filled with an epidemic of crime, one family races against time for safety. While The Purge may not be as scary as most horror lovers would anticipate, the film has an interesting concept that shows the struggle between what is right and self-preservation.
16. House of 9 (2005)
If you love drama and thriller escape room movies, you will enjoy House of 9. The film’s premise starts with the kidnapping of nine strangers by a wealthy maniac. The nine are in a room together, with no chance of escape. Controlled by a mysterious voice, each detainee must obey the instructions or die. The house has seventy-five cameras, and the survivor will get five million dollars. The twist is that only one person will survive. From murder, violence, and greed, you will get to know if there was any survivor from the murder house.
Check out House of 9.
17. House on Haunted Hill (1999)
House on Haunted Hill is a horror film where players get an invite to a haunted house party. A millionaire offers a prize of $10,000 to the five people to show up and survive the haunted house during the overnight party. There is no radio or phone use, and the house has no access to the outer world. As the night progresses, the five realize they are in the haunted house with murderers, ghosts, and other terrors. If you are a horror film lover, then you will enjoy the shocks and spooks as the film progresses.
Check out House on Haunted Hill.
18. Gerald’s Game
Gerald’s Game is a horror film that features a married couple, Jessie and Gerald. The two lovers visit a remote area to reignite their failing relationship. Gerald handcuffs Jessie to the bedposts, after which he enacts a fantasy that soon becomes uncomfortable for her. Amid an argument, Gerald dies of a heart attack, leaving his wife handcuffed. Jesse must figure out how to uncuff herself and escape the horror that has befallen the couple. The film features gory details and is not for squeamish audiences. Gerald’s Game is a great recommendation for clever escape room movies, given the unexpected twists.
Check out Gerald’s Game.
Movies for escape room fans
19. Exam (2009)
Exam tops the list of movies for escape room fans who do not want horror films. Eight candidates are all dressed up for an employment assessment exam. Once all participants enter the room, they learn that the exam is an 80-minute assessment with only one question. The candidates must not talk to each other or the guard, spoil the exam paper or leave the room. However, the assessment paper is blank, and soon, one candidate fails the test. The company will later find an administrator who will make tough decisions while showing compassion. From punches to diseases and gunshots, Exam has fantastic twists that you will enjoy.
Check out Exam.
20. The Killing Room (2009)
The Killing Room is a psychological thriller film that features four individuals who are the subjects of a brutal project. The study aims to achieve an apoptosis phenomenon in humans similar to that in cells. Once given a questionnaire, a researcher enters the room and reveals to the three men and a woman that they will earn $250 for the eight-hour study. A twist occurs whereby the researcher shoots the woman and leaves the room. The three men will experience psychological and physical brutality through the classified government program, and only one will survive the torture.
Check out The Killing Room.
21. Devil (2010)
Devil is a supernatural horror film where five strangers find themselves inside an elevator, with the devil among them. Once the communication radio breaks down, Ramirez and Lustig observe the strangers via CCTV. As the detectives assume the case, Lustig can only account for four persons. A series of frightening events that turn into terror takes place. Soon, the four strangers realize that Lucifer is among them. Bowden, a detective in Philadelphia, realizes that he has to get the strangers out of the elevator before time runs out.
Check out Devil.
22. The Hunt (2020)
The Hunt is a satirical horror film where the wealthy Americans hunt for deplorables. The film dives into conspiracy fears about planned killings by the rich liberal elites. A group of 12 people find themselves in a mysterious forest clearing where they start getting killed one by one. Once the group realizes that the elites are out to kill ordinary citizens in a hunt, one of the captains retaliates. The most dangerous game begins when the shooting begins. The Hunt is one of the best movies for escape room fans that also tackles political themes through dark comedy.
Check out The Hunt.
23. The Platform (2019)
The Platform is an incredibly engaging escape room movie set in a dystopian future. In this movie, The Platform is a vertical prison and each floor has characters that truly move the plot along. Ultimately you follow the protagonist as they try to escape the prison. This movie is available on Netflix and other platforms.
Check out The Platform.
Conclusion
Escape room movies immerse participants into the escape room experience. These films will get players in the escape room spirit as your team figures out the twists the films take. This list of escape room films is a great start for participants who are new to the actual escape room experience. Escape room films are also a cheaper alternative for a team escape room experience. If you are watching an escape room film with your team, then choose an entertaining movie that will keep every participant glued to their screens.
Next, check out this list of top escape game companies, and this guide to team building in escape rooms.
FAQ: Escape room movies
Here are answers to common questions about escape room movies.
What are escape room movies?
Escape room movies are films that blend the elements of isolation and survival games and require participants to solve puzzles to escape.
What are some good movies about escape rooms to watch with teams?
Some good movies about escape rooms to watch with teams include House on Haunted Hill, Countdown, and Escape Room.