Game players find themselves fighting for their lives in 'Escape Room.' (Courtesy.)

The most disheartening thing a movie can be is one that fails to live up to expectations. A close second is when a film starts to show promise and then one thing, and only on thing, ruins the entire movie. This is the problem with “Escape Room.”

Rating: ** (out of 5 stars)

“Escape Room” is a thriller following six players in one of the top rated escape rooms in the country. The group includes shy college student Zoey (Taylor Russell), veteran Amanda (Deborah Ann Woll), grocery store employee Ben (Logan Miller), rugged everyman Mike (Tyler Labine), jerk businessman Jason (Jay Ellis) and escape room fanboy Danny (Nik Dodani).

It doesn’t take them long to figure out that this is unlike any escape room any of them have ever seen. The game seems like it is trying to kill them. It takes a while for them to realize that the game is based on secrets from their pasts and a connection they share.

They must then learn to follow the clues if they want to make it out alive.

“Escape Room” is directed by Adam Robitel, an up-and-coming director who showed promise with his debut feature, the found footage possession movie “The Taking of Deborah Logan.” All of that promise was tossed into the garbage when he directed “Insidious: The Last Key.” It wasn’t a great movie.

I didn’t expect much from this story. I expected a PG-13 “Saw” rip off, which it sort of is, filled with characters I didn’t care about. However, the characters were interesting and the attention to detail was pretty cool. I actually felt bad when a couple of the players died.

Then the ending happened.

The goodwill this movie had with me pretty much vanished thanks to the last five minutes.

Spoiler alert: those who survive embark on a quest to hunt down the game’s creator who, like a Bond villain, has anticipated this and is ready for another game. This sets up a sequel that, frankly, isn’t needed.

“Escape Room” is not worthy of deep analysis and will likely be forgotten in five years. Maybe it’ll show up on TV and be watched by those who are bored and can’t find the remote, which is better than paying to see it.