I have to THINK to get out of here?!
They are trapped in a place with strangers, killers, weapons, bodies, traps, or nothing. (Or maybe even cherub-penis buttons everywhere.) It's usually a mystery and for better or worse, they must test their survival skills and think their way out.
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- DirectorVincenzo NataliStarsNicole de BoerMaurice Dean WintDavid HewlettA group of strangers awaken to find themselves placed in a giant cube. Each one of them is gifted with a special skill and they must work together to escape an endless maze of deadly traps.A mainstay for lovers of this genre. A B-movie and a bit cheezy, but wonderful for those who like to problem solve while watching movies. Perfect intro movie if you've never seen this kind. (As long as you don't mind a little gore.)
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 62%, Audience 76% - DirectorAndrzej SekulaStarsKari MatchettGeraint Wyn DaviesGrace Lynn KungEight strangers awaken with no memory, in a puzzling cube-shaped room where the laws of physics do not always apply.Has the same format as first movie but without as much of the "slice and dice" mechanical traps and more of a sci-fi spin. Satisfying if you like this genre.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 45%, Audience 36% - DirectorErnie BarbarashStarsZachary BennettStephanie MooreMartin RoachA young programmer whose job is to watch over the reality-warping Cube defies orders to rescue an innocent mother trapped in one of its rooms.Solid movie based on the Cube formula. This time we see some of the outer workings of the cube. If you liked Cube, try this one too.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics --, Audience 43% - DirectorChris ShadleyStarsMelissa Joan HartWilliam Lee ScottJohn TerryNine strangers are kidnapped and forced to figure out the connection they have to each other as one has to die every ten minutes.Very low budget with some questionable acting, but kinda interesting. ...That is if you don't mind watching a group of hostages in a room talking through their dilemma. Ending could have been better.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics --, Audience 29% - DirectorDominic JamesStarsJohn Pyper-FergusonEmily HampshireCaterina MurinoSix strangers wake up in cells in an underground facility. Their captive decides their fate with the roll of a die.Another B-movie but solid. Doesn't have the extreme thrills of the Saw movies, but a not horrible addition to the "trapped and thinking" movies.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics --, Audience 20% - DirectorJonathan LiebesmanStarsNick CannonClea DuVallTimothy HuttonFour individuals sign up for a psychological research study only to discover that they are now subjects of a brutal, classified government program.Better than expected. Good production value, good acting and kept me guessing and wondering for a long time. If you like this genre, this movie is a safe bet for a friday night.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 67%, Audience 41% - DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsTatsuya FujiwaraAki MaedaTarô YamamotoIn the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill one another under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.A class of 14 year-olds are on an island and must fight to the death--leaving only one survivor. There's no mystery involved, but it's a top example of critical-thinking survival skills in a movie. If you like spending time figuring out how YOU would survive when you watch movies, then this is my top pick for you. *Extreme gore warning.
Additional warning: Don't watch if you can't handle teen bloodshed.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 86%, Audience 89% - DirectorShin'ya TsukamotoStarsShin'ya TsukamotoTakahiro MuraseTakahiro KandakaA man wakes up to find himself locked in a cramped concrete maze of corridors, in which he can barely move. He doesn't remember why he is there or how he got there. He has a terrible stomach injury and is slowly bleeding to death.The visceral epitome of a claustrophobic trapped movie. A man suffers in a cramped, dark maze with a fair amount of torture, while the viewer and him are trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Some of the crawling is a bit monotonous, but the ending "revelation to the mystery" was pretty satisfying. It's short at 49 min but prepare to have your guts churning throughout.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics --, Audience 78% - DirectorMichael WinnickStarsJames MarstersTony ToddMarc WinnickEight strangers with no memories find themselves trapped in an abandoned facility. As they desperately try to find answers and escape, their own Shadows attempt to consume them from the darkness.A promising beginning disintegrated when the mystery was revealed. It felt a bit too absurd to enjoy. Like sci-fi channel movie fodder we've seen too many times. Watch at your own risk.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics --, Audience 22% - DirectorMarcelo PiñeyroStarsEduardo NoriegaNajwa NimriEduard Fernández7 Spanish top corporate job candidates are left in a room and informed on computer screens about their tasks and that one of them is an observer. Let the psyching begin.Ok, they aren't exactly trapped, but they must stay in the room and solve psychological tests (including who the mole in the room is) in order to win a prized job placement. Highly cerebral, it's mostly just watching people talk but if you like trying to figure out mind games with the characters than this is a great movie to try.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 71%, Audience 69% - DirectorsJohn SuitsGabriel CowanStarsAilsa MarshallMichael McLaffertyDavid HiglenTonya, among 13 strangers, participates in a lethal game; find exit using clues, pieces. Collared players get eliminated one by one during 'curfew'. Dead bodies reveal one player is the killer. Uncover the murderer's identity.Low budget with some painful acting. The idea of the conclusion was promising but it wasn't that fun getting there. A movie for die hard fans of "trapped and thinking" movies.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics --, Audience 17% - DirectorSimon BrandStarsJim CaviezelGreg KinnearBridget MoynahanFive men wake up in a locked-down warehouse with no memory of who they are. They are forced to figure out who is good and who is bad to stay alive.A sleeper and quite a good movie. More action than some of these movies tend to have. The characters wake up trapped in bizarre circumstances and can't even remember who the "good guys" and "bad guys" are. Great cast, good plot. One to catch when it makes the rounds on cable.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 38%, Audience 54% - DirectorNick HammStarsThora BirchDesmond HarringtonDaniel BrocklebankFour teenagers discover an underground fallout shelter thanks to a friend, who agrees to have them hide there with the door locked for a few days to escape a school trip. Yet, time passes, and their friend doesn't come back to get them.Very solid film about youths trapped in a bomb shelter. Less of an exercise in critical thinking than many of the movies on this list. It's not a movie about figuring out how to get out, but about who is telling the truth after the fact. Decent film.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 50%, Audience 53% - DirectorSteven R. MonroeStarsKelly BrookDennis HopperHippolyte GirardotNine strangers, with no apparent connection between them are abducted: drugged, kidnapped and sealed in a house together.One of my favorite goosebump endings in a movie but took a long time getting there. I attempted a re-watch recently and wasn't able to get through it. A pretty center-of-the-road example of this kind of movie.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics --, Audience 37% - DirectorHideo NakataStarsKin'ya KitaôjiNagisa KatahiraShinji TakedaTen people who agree to take the same lucrative "job" find themselves locked in an underground complex and forced to play a murder game for seven days.The cheesy B-movie feeling caught me off guard for how much fun I had watching this. It's a bit like a Japanese Agatha Christie who-dun-it murder mystery. Probably a good pick for those who like crime-mysteries.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics --, Audience 30% - DirectorFranck VestielStarsClovis CornillacVimala PonsZohar WexlerA man wakes up in an underground cave, next to a dead body. He has no memory of how he got there and starts to try and work his way to the surface and escape from the network of tunnels, which seem to be some kind of ancient civilisation.The synopsis for this movie sounds phenomenal. But somehow, the tone and pacing during viewing were obnoxious enough for me to end up fast-forwarding through to the better parts. Bleak, frustrating, with some neat ideas.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 43%, Audience 33% - DirectorsLuis PiedrahitaRodrigo SopeñaStarsAlejo SaurasElena BallesterosLluís Homar4 mathematicians are invited to solve an enigma. Once there, they're locked in a mechanically shrinking room and given 1 minute to solve each puzzle via cellphone while also figuring out why they're there.Genius dinner guests trapped in a slowly closing-in room while having to solve enigmas and the greater problem of why they are there. Would have been more thrilling if some of these enigmas weren't mainstay puzzles that are already well known, even to non-geniuses such as myself. Still, solid entry in this genre.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 70%, Audience 54% - DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsChoi Min-sikYoo Ji-taeKang Hye-jeongAfter being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.A cult classic for a reason. Technically doesn't belong on this list, but it includes being trapped and figuring out why. Has iconic visuals & scenes that get under your skin and never quite leave. The fun, fascinating ride ends with a brilliant explanation. Clever plot. Can't recommend it enough.
Note: Skip the American (2013) remake--or at least watch it AFTER this one.
Note 2: If you skip foreign movies because you don't like reading subtitles, go ahead & watch the english-dubbed version which isn't too bad.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 80%, Audience 94% - DirectorNimród AntalStarsAdrien BrodyLaurence FishburneTopher GraceA group of elite warriors parachute into an unfamiliar jungle and are hunted by members of a merciless alien race.*Unfamiliar with the franchise, I can only comment on the merit of this movie as a stand-alone.
"Bad guys" from every walk of life are corralled and hunted by the predators. It's thoroughly fun watching these characters work together or sabotage each other in turn. Plenty of opportunity to speculate what YOU might do to survive. Surprisingly, Adrien Brody as a muscle-bound hero/commando works in spades. Fun, interesting.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 64%, Audience 51% - DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsSôta FukushiHirona YamazakiRyûnosuke KamikiA group of high school students are forced to play a game of death without knowing who, why or how.Bizarre, gory, funny, wonderful! A sometimes wacky but absolutely pure example of a thinking-to-escape film. It's over the top blood & violence may have some reeling, but those more accustomed to movie-gore will probably have a knee-slapping good time.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics --, Audience 47% - DirectorChristian AlvartStarsDennis QuaidBen FosterCam GigandetTwo crew members of a spaceship wake up from hypersleep to discover that all their colleagues are missing. Despite this, it appears that they are not alone.An interesting mystery with a bit more focus on Sci-fi & monsters. Includes the ever-enjoyable Dennis Quaid. Doesn't feel like a think-to-escape film, though it is.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 28%, Audience 48% - DirectorAlex ProyasStarsRufus SewellKiefer SutherlandJennifer ConnellyA man struggles with memories of his past, which include a wife he cannot remember and a nightmarish world no one else ever seems to wake up from.An unforgettable, original film which may have been made a bit before it's time-- considering the advances in film technology. Fascinating mystery with some wonderful brain-stretching mental aerobics. Truly unique.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 74%, Audience 84% - DirectorJames MangoldStarsJohn CusackRay LiottaAmanda PeetStranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one.Well written, fun, interesting throughout, with an exciting urgent pace that never lets up. Clear and well crafted use of many characters. Some may find the mystery reveal extremely satisfying being somewhat fantastical but faithful to the story's own rules. This action thriller is definitely a "thinking" movie.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 62%, Audience 75% - DirectorChristopher SmithStarsMelissa GeorgeJoshua McIvorJack TaylorFive friends set sail and their yacht is overturned by a strange and sudden storm. A mysterious ship arrives to rescue them, and what happens next cannot be explained.Well planned, clever; the kind of movie you want to re-watch immediately to see what you hadn't picked up during the first viewing. Has a couple unnerving visuals which may stay with you. Top scores for repeat viewing.
PROTIP: Afterward, check out the IMDb boards to get a better handle on what is going on & why.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 82%, Audience 65% - DirectorStuart HazeldineStarsAdar BeckGemma ChanNathalie CoxEight candidates for a highly desirable corporate job are locked together in an exam room and given a final test with just one seemingly simple question. However, it doesn't take long for confusion to ensue and tensions to unravel.A critical-thinker's wet dream. No horror, moderate amount of danger, and a test for a coveted job. The exam AND the job both being an enigma. One of the few movies on this list where the objective is NOT to exit the room. Sounds slow, but builds tension magnificently. If you pride yourself on your critical thinking skills and your ability to think up MacGyver-like workarounds, don't miss this one.
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 63%, Audience 57%
