Netflix Users Are Obsessed With An Intense Sci-Fi Escape Room Thriller

This post contains spoilers for Netflix's "Brick."

When horror stories are confined to a single location, every emotion is intensified. The visceral fear of being trapped in a confined space can be a gateway for great scares, especially when the characters realize there's no easy way out. The psychological implications of single-location horror are multifold, as such stories are able to explore character motivations in contexts that everyday situations rarely afford. The associated tropes that come with them — twist reveals, cabin fever-induced confusion, and the human instinct to overcome impossible odds — only make the experience that much sweeter. Netflix's new escape room thriller, "Brick," tries to live up to those expectations, but it doesn't arrive at any groundbreaking conclusions during the process. Nevertheless, it's a film worth checking out.

If we take a quick look at Netflix's weekly Top 10 movies in the U.S., "Brick" is sitting in third place at the moment, right behind the explosively popular animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" (via FlixPatrol). This high ranking seems well-deserved, though; "Brick" has an intriguing premise and delivers lots of twists and turns, all while challenging viewers to put on their thinking caps and figure out the solution along with the movie's characters. Writer/director Philip Koch situates the story's horror in the comfort of your home: What would happen if you woke up to discover all of your apartment building's exits were sealed by huge, magnetized walls that do not appear to budge? Calling for outside help isn't an option here, as the enclosed space is now off-the-grid, having been severed from the internet and all cellphone connections. But while it's pure nightmare fuel, is that setup alone enough to sustain this sci-fi thriller?

I'm inclined to say no, as "Brick" does little with the claustrophobic urgency inherent to its central concept. And though the plot is still intense in bursts, it also has an emotional throughline that's too grim for its own good. Even so, it's worth taking a closer look at what Koch's flick has to offer.

"Brick" centers on Tim (Matthias Schweighöfer, whom you might remember from Zack Snyder's "Army of the Dead" and Schweighöfer's prequel, "Army of Thieves"), a game developer who lives with his girlfriend, Liv (Ruby O. Fee). Liv wants to escape the monotony of working long hours at their jobs, so she suggests a lovely trip to Paris, but Tim immediately shuts down the idea on account of being too busy. But just as tensions rise to the point of a potential break-up, Liv discovers a huge wall blocking their doorway, leaving her and Tim trapped inside their home. While their dynamic is still strained, things suddenly get a lot more serious, as the duo is forced to work together to survive this situation. 

When the pair decide to knock down the walls separating their place from the neighboring apartments in search of other survivors, "Brick" begins to unravel as a hidden world of twist reveals and dirty secrets is brought to light. Other characters gradually become a part of this mystery as well, including the eccentric couple Marvin (Frederick Lau) and Ana (Salber Lee Williams), along with Yuri (Murathan Muslu), a tenant who doesn't want to escape at all. Unfortunately, by the time we learn what the titular brick really is and why it suddenly decided to envelop this particular apartment building, the film is running on fumes, having exhausted all of its gimmicks. Beneath the layers of a grim story that doesn't always lean into levity, though, there are glimmers of a better and adrenaline-fueled movie. On the whole, though, "Brick" often feels lethargic due to its muddled pacing.

Beyond the question of what the heck is happening to these characters and the world around them, the film focuses heavily on their shifting allegiances and evolving relationships with one another. The question of survival is also extended to fractured interpersonal dynamics, as we want to know whether Tim and Liv can weather this storm and emerge as a stronger couple together. Alas, even this emotional aspect starts to grow weaker as the movie progresses, robbing "Brick" of its ability to provide some satisfying pay-offs. Still, overall, there are a number of things to enjoy about this particular sci-fi/horror escape room movie. That said, I urge you to opt for the German-language version of the film, as the English dub leaves a lot to be desired.

"Brick" is currently streaming on Netflix.