Escape the Night (2016–2019)
6/10
Works well on Youtube, but wouldn't cut it on TV without Proper Supervision and the Necessary Changes
10 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This series is a mixed bag. It can be fun at times, but it can also be really flat. To begin, all of the characters are invited to a dinner party at the house of Joey Graceffa. In order to attend, they must dress up and act like they're in the 1920s, then travel by some sort of special car that is never really explained, and only really serves to be blown up in order to keep them from escaping. Each one of them is given a different character, for reasons that are never really explained. Timothy DeLaGhetto is the only one who strives to stay in character, with Ou White and Glozell Green making the occasional references to their respective characters. And while we're on the subject of the characters, Joey Graceffa is unbearable in this. I don't watch his videos, so I don't know if this is what he's normally like, but in this series his character is constantly either complaining or whining, and it drives me insane. Most of the other characters are okay, and I enjoyed watching Timother DeLaGhetto and Matt Haag, I personally found them both to be quite entertaining. If you can get past episode one, the rest of the series is better.

The acting does leave a lot to be desired, but keep in mind this is Youtube, albeit Youtube Red. The story can fluctuate between tolerable and childish. For example, the clues are left behind by a group called, "Society against Evil". Really creative name there guys. Although the twist at the end is pretty good, it's kind of frustrating watching the antagonists in the final episode, they're intentionally incompetent for no reason. Just through a cardboard box over yourself whenever they come close and you're good. And having the bad and the good mixed is just a staple of this series. Some of the special effects are nice to look at, especially some of the makeup and costumes. However, some of the CGI just looks really childish, for example the black clouds in the Exorcism episode. And the script is interesting in that parts of it feel scripted, while other parts don't, leaving you unsure about how to feel about the event that just occurred. One of the only major complaints I had with the series, apart from Graceffa's performance, is that it seems to have a couple sexual scenes that don't really need to exist, or could be toned down. This includes Episode Three's "Sex Scene", Episode Four's "Perverse Game", and depending on how you view it, Episode Seven's opening flashback. Personally I thought Seven's scene was fine, but Episodes Three and Four had some content that wasn't really necessary for the series.

Overall, if you think you would be interested in a Survivor/Twilight Zone mashup, and you have a free trial to Youtube Red, I'd check this series out. It's not great, but it can be entertaining at times, and I think with a little more direction and a better story, it could have an extremely strong season 2. Even without changes being made, I thought the series was enjoyable, and I would watch a second season. 6/10, with the Potential to be a solid 8 or 9 out of 10 if problems are examined and fixed.
8 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed