We’re no strangers to wild and dramatic twists, to unexpected turns and surprises. They’re almost everywhere to some degree. Not only in horror stories. To keep us guessing and anticipating what comes next. But every once in a blue moon, we are shocked to the bone, left trembling in disbelief, even sent into a state of denial. Because how could they, REALLY, have done that? It’s inconceivable.
The last time I experienced anything like that (before I did again in 2020, with a horror film) was with I Origins, the moment poor Sofi was split in two by the elevator, right after an argument with her neglectful boyfriend, who disrespectfully criticized her as being childish. I couldn’t believe it and I did not want to. She died, just like that, a sudden and horrible death - and it wasn’t even a horror movie. And while I see characters dying all the time, characters I also wished would have lived longer, certain deaths just hit a nerve. I was amazed by the impact this one had on me, how I had to later watch interviews with the actress as if to tell my heart that, at least in some alternate universe, or a higher plane of reality, she was fine. Then fully recovered from it when I saw her again in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. There, she wasn’t only alive, but she was a mystical sorceress who was valued as such, playing an important role in an epic adventure with the use of her gifts. Not constantly having to argue about whether or not magic exists, no. There, she embodied magic unquestionably. And with that, I felt immense peace.
But we’re here to talk about horror, not just drama. There is a horror film that came close to shocking me just as badly, albeit for different reasons, and it’s from the year 2020. The film is called No Escape.
SPOILERS ALERT! If you want to avoid spoilers, you can stop reading right now.
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| No Escape (2020) |
I don’t know what to tell you. Was it good? Was it bad? I’m still shocked by its ending. It’s the kind of movie I hate because, jeez, was that really necessary? A part of me wishes it had an alternate ending - or at least a few more scenes that somehow manage to make up for that awful conclusion. Yet, another part of me finds it perfectly perfect. Let this be a warning to not play any dangerous pranks like that. And if you will, make sure to take all the necessary measures for it to not get disastrously out of hand.
In No Escape, we follow an internet celebrity who’s always up for dares and challenges, no matter how scary they are. And people love him for that. You might as well. He’s fun, smart, kind, and flawed like any other human being. And not only is he popular with strangers - he has a group of close friends and a girlfriend he adores. Talk about heartwarming. What happens to him, then, blew my mind. He did NOT deserve it. What the hell were you all thinking?!
It was a gift, something he was meant to enjoy, an intense experience unlike no other. Only a game. A SAFE game. It was a personalized escape room. But it’s as if nobody in there, despite supposedly being geniuses at setting up and running this show, ever took a psychology class to tell them the very basics of human behavior. How if you sadistically trap someone and brutally murder their loved ones in front of them, it is only natural that they will turn violent to both escape and take revenge.
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| No Escape (2020) |
But okay, let’s say he makes it to the exit in one piece. His loved ones, in his mind, were cruelly killed and he is the sole survivor. You send one person, ONE, to tell him that it was all an act? The one person who had been playing with his head all along, not having much credibility left? While he’s STILL consumed by the pain and frenzy of it, screwed up, having basically lost everything? Who can take a look at that idea and decide that it is a sensible one?
The guy beats the host down to an unrecognizable pulp of blood, ending his life before the lights come back on to reveal that everyone was alright and the game was over, that he succeeded. They all stare at him as though HE is the one who's crazy.
That’s the end of it, a shocking ending.
I could criticize this movie for being unrealistic, but the truth is that people lacking common sense abound. I can imagine a couple of his friends reassuring the staff during the design process that he will be fine, that he can take it, that there’s nothing to worry about other than to make it as horrible for him as it could possibly be, considering how accustomed he is to intense experiences. No need to take extra precautions, this will be a walk in the park for him. And yet, it boggles me that none of them, despite seeing how terribly riled up he was during the game, dropped the act to give him relief, even if it ruined the purpose of what they had so "meticulously" crafted.
Quite frankly, I’d take this guy’s side in court and blame the incident on the ineptitude of the escape room’s staff and the lack of remorse of his friends for coming up with and playing along to this atrocity without faltering. Have him walk out of there innocent and generously compensated for the damage caused. Then he can go on to make better quality friends.
I can only be glad that this hasn’t happened to me or anyone I know in a literal sense, although I have witnessed real people being driven to madness by uncaring peers that get a kick out of pushing others’ buttons until they break.
So, everyone, be very careful how far you take your jokes. Because “We were only joking!” does not always solve everything. Even if people willingly sign up for something like this, you should try and be conscious enough to tell when enough is enough and intervene.
This is my opinion, what is yours?