9 Best Psychological Horror Movies Like Escape Room

The Escape Room movie is a thrilling psychological horror film that takes viewers on a wild ride through a series of increasingly complex and deadly escape rooms. Released in 2019, the movie quickly gained a massive following, cementing its status as a cultural phenomenon.

At its core, the Escape Room movie is about survival, as a group of strangers find themselves trapped in a mysterious and deadly game where their only chance of escaping is to solve a series of mind-bending puzzles. But as the game unfolds, it becomes clear that there’s more at stake than just their freedom, and the players must race against the clock to uncover the sinister forces behind the game before it’s too late.

One of the primary themes of the Escape Room movie is the idea of teamwork and cooperation. The players quickly realize that they can’t solve the puzzles alone and must work together if they hope to survive. This emphasis on collaboration is one of the reasons why people love the movie so much. It’s a thrilling ride that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, but it also highlights the importance of coming together to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Another reason why the Escape Room movie is so popular is its clever use of puzzles and riddles. From a room filled with shifting tiles to a giant furnace that threatens to incinerate the players, each of the escape rooms is designed to test the players’ wits and creativity. It’s a perfect combination of brain-teasers and physical challenges that keeps viewers engaged and guessing throughout the movie.

Beyond its themes and puzzles, the Escape Room movie is also notable for its burstiness. The action is fast-paced and relentless, with each scene building on the tension of the previous one. From the moment the players enter the first escape room, the stakes are high, and the tension never lets up until the final climactic showdown.

Overall, the Escape Room movie is a thrilling and perplexing ride that has captured the hearts and minds of audiences around the world. With its emphasis on teamwork, clever puzzles, and non-stop action, it’s easy to see why it has become such a popular and beloved series.

If you enjoyed the Escape Room movie and are looking for similar movies to watch, here are 9 recommendations:

1. Cube (1997) – In this sci-fi thriller, a group of strangers awaken in a maze-like cube filled with deadly traps and puzzles.
2. The Belko Experiment (2016) – A group of office workers are forced to participate in a twisted game of survival, where they must kill or be killed.
3. Saw (2004) – A classic horror movie that follows a group of strangers who find themselves trapped in a twisted game of life and death.
4. The Game (1997) – A wealthy banker is drawn into a mysterious game that seems to blur the lines between reality and fantasy.
5. Circle (2015) – In this sci-fi thriller, 50 strangers find themselves trapped in a circular room and must decide who to vote off next, with each vote resulting in a deadly consequence.
6. Exam (2009) – Eight candidates for a high-level job must compete in a grueling exam that becomes increasingly sinister.
7. Identity (2003) – A group of strangers stranded at a motel are killed off one by one, and it soon becomes clear that the killer is among them.
8. Coherence (2013) – A group of friends at a dinner party are forced to confront their darkest fears when a passing comet causes a strange cosmic disturbance.
9. The Invitation (2015) – A man attends a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife and her new partner, only to realize that there may be more to the gathering than meets the eye.

1. Cube (1997)

Cube is a classic sci-fi thriller film that follows a group of strangers who wake up in a maze-like cube filled with deadly traps and puzzles. The film is directed by Vincenzo Natali and stars Nicole de Boer, Nicky Guadagni, David Hewlett, and Andrew Miller.

The story begins with six strangers, each with their unique skills, waking up in a bizarre, seemingly endless maze of interconnected cubical rooms. As they struggle to find a way out, they encounter various lethal traps, such as booby-trapped rooms, sound-activated death traps, and rooms filled with acid. The group must work together, using their various skills and knowledge, to find a way out of the maze and survive the deadly traps.

The film’s tension and suspense build up gradually as the characters’ interactions become increasingly strained, and the deadly traps become more elaborate and challenging. Cube’s plot is similar to Escape Room in that both movies have a group of strangers trapped in a confined space and must work together to solve puzzles to escape while facing deadly consequences.

2. The Belko Experiment (2016)

Directed by Greg McLean and written by James Gunn, The Belko Experiment is a horror-thriller film that follows a group of office workers who are trapped in their building and forced to participate in a twisted game of survival. The movie stars John Gallagher Jr., Tony Goldwyn, Adria Arjona, and Michael Rooker.

The film’s plot revolves around a group of American workers in Bogotá, Colombia, who are suddenly locked inside their building by an unknown voice over the intercom. The voice tells the workers that they must kill or be killed and that they must eliminate a certain number of their colleagues within a certain timeframe. As the situation grows increasingly desperate and chaotic, the workers must decide who to trust and what to do to survive.

The Belko Experiment’s plot shares a similar theme with Escape Room in that it involves a group of strangers forced into a game of survival where they must outwit their captors and each other to stay alive. However, unlike Escape Room, The Belko Experiment is much more violent and gory, with a much darker tone throughout the film.

3. Saw (2004)

Saw is a horror-thriller film directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell, who also starred in the movie. The movie follows two men, Adam and Dr. Lawrence Gordon, who wake up in a bathroom chained to pipes on opposite ends of the room. They soon realize that they are part of a twisted game orchestrated by a sadistic and mysterious figure known as Jigsaw, who forces them to make gruesome and deadly choices to stay alive.

The movie’s plot is similar to Escape Room in that it involves a group of people trapped in a confined space and forced to solve deadly puzzles to survive. However, unlike Escape Room, Saw is much more gruesome and violent, with intense and gory scenes that will make your skin crawl. The movie’s success spawned an entire franchise of sequels, all of which feature elaborate death traps and horrifying scenarios designed to test the limits of human survival.

4. The Game (1997)

Directed by David Fincher and starring Michael Douglas, The Game is a psychological thriller film that follows wealthy banker Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas), who receives a mysterious gift from his estranged brother Conrad (Sean Penn) for his birthday. The gift turns out to be a chance to participate in an elaborate and immersive game that takes over his life, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

As Nicholas delves deeper into the game, he realizes that it is much more dangerous and unpredictable than he initially thought, with each challenge becoming increasingly sinister and threatening. As the stakes get higher, Nicholas must race against time to uncover the truth behind the game and survive its deadly consequences.

The Game shares a similar theme with Escape Room in that it involves a character who is forced into a high-stakes game that becomes increasingly dangerous and unpredictable. Both films also explore the blurred lines between reality and fantasy, as the characters struggle to distinguish what is real and what is part of the game.

5. Circle (2015)

Circle is a science fiction thriller film that follows 50 strangers who wake up in a circular room, unable to move or escape. They soon realize that every two minutes, one of them will be killed off by an unseen force, and they must decide who to vote off next. As tensions rise and alliances are formed and broken, the group must work together to uncover the rules of the game and find a way to survive.

The movie’s plot is similar to Escape Room in that it involves a group of strangers trapped in a confined space and forced to make life-and-death decisions to survive. However, unlike Escape Room, Circle explores themes of morality, group dynamics, and the consequences of our choices.

6. Exam (2009)

Directed by Stuart Hazeldine, Exam is a British psychological thriller film that follows eight candidates who are vying for a high-level job at a powerful corporation. The candidates are locked in a windowless room and given an exam paper with one question: “What would you do if you were given the job?” As the exam progresses, the candidates soon realize that the exam is not what it seems, and they must use their wits and knowledge to unravel the secrets of the test.

Exam’s plot shares a similar theme with Escape Room in that it involves a group of strangers locked in a confined space, forced to solve puzzles and riddles to escape. However, Exam is much more focused on psychological and intellectual challenges, with the characters using their minds and intelligence to outwit their captors and each other.

7. Identity (2003)

Directed by James Mangold, Identity is a psychological thriller film that follows ten strangers who are stranded at a remote motel during a storm. However, they soon realize that they are being hunted by a mysterious killer who is picking them off one by one. As the survivors try to stay alive, they uncover secrets about each other and the true nature of their situation.

The film shares a similar theme with Escape Room in that it involves a group of strangers who are trapped in a confined space and must work together to solve a mystery and survive. Both films also explore the themes of trust and betrayal as the characters are forced to navigate a situation where they cannot trust anyone completely.

8. Coherence (2013)

Coherence is a science-fiction thriller film that follows a group of friends who gather for a dinner party on the night of a passing comet. As the comet’s energy disrupts reality and causes strange occurrences, the group’s relationships and loyalties are tested, and they must figure out how to survive the night and return to their own reality.

The movie shares similarities with Escape Room in that it involves a group of people who are trapped in a situation that they cannot fully understand, with the rules and reality changing constantly. Both films explore the themes of perception and reality, as the characters struggle to make sense of their situation and find a way out.

9. The Invitation (2015)

Directed by Karyn Kusama, The Invitation is a psychological horror film that follows Will (Logan Marshall-Green), who is invited to a dinner party by his ex-wife and her new husband. As the night progresses, Will becomes increasingly convinced that something sinister is going on, and he must fight to protect himself and his friends from an unknown threat.

The movie shares similarities with Escape Room in that it involves a group of people who are trapped in a situation that they cannot fully understand, with their survival dependent on their ability to solve a mystery and escape. Both films explore themes of trust, paranoia, and the human psyche, as the characters are forced to confront their own fears and motivations.

Here is a table with the IMDb ratings and Rotten Tomatoes scores for each movie: