Safe Space

Safe Space is a 2022 British psychological thriller film about a group of young adults who embark on a mysterious escapade at an isolated desert escape room. The story begins with the introduction of a diverse group of friends: Alex (Jessica Barden), Jamie (Matt Smith), Hannah (Katie Leung), and Ben (Hannah John-Kamen) form one couple, while Mark (Alec Newman) and Emily (Georgia King) make up another. Rounding out the group is a lonely and somewhat troubled friend, Rachel (Lauryn Redding), who has joined them on this escapade at Alex's insistence. Their chosen destination is an enigmatic escape room, run by the mysterious and unsettling Ukrainian performance artist, Oleg (Yuri Kolokolnikov). Oleg welcomes the group to his makeshift facility in the middle of the desert, where they are presented with a series of cryptic puzzles and challenges to be completed within a limited time frame of two hours. As they delve deeper into the room, the group quickly realizes that Oleg's true intentions are far from altruistic. Rather than merely hosting an amusement, he is conducting an experiment on human psychology and the effects of isolation on the human psyche. He subjects the group to an escalating series of challenges, pushing their emotional limits, testing their relationships, and exploiting their deepest fears. At the outset of their ordeal, the group is unaware of Oleg's master plan, and they are driven by a sense of excitement and camaraderie. However, as time progresses and Oleg's games escalate, the atmosphere shifts from light-hearted banter to tense anxiety and paranoia. As individual personalities begin to surface, deep-seated secrets and conflicts start to emerge. Mark and Emily find themselves at odds with the rest of the group due to his overbearing behavior, which is further exacerbated by his aggressive interactions with the others. Meanwhile, Hannah's relationship with Jamie hits a rocky patch as she is forced to confront her own insecurities and jealousy, triggered by Jamie's past infidelity. As the group's cohesion starts to disintegrate, the room itself begins to take on an unsettling quality. Equipment seems to move and adjust on its own, adding an element of unease and unpredictability to the proceedings. Paranoia and panic set in, and Rachel starts to unravel, driven by flashbacks of a traumatic event from her past. As the time limit looms closer, the group members start to suspect one another of being in on Oleg's plan, further exacerbating the divisions within the group. However, a turning point occurs when a sudden betrayal makes it clear that the true enemy may not be the individuals within the group, but Oleg himself. In a dramatic twist, it becomes apparent that the entire experience was staged to observe the natural reactions of a diverse group of strangers thrown together under pressure. The group's varied emotional responses and reactions provided invaluable insight into the dynamics of human psychology. The movie concludes on a somewhat bleak note, with the group reflecting on their own vulnerabilities and the realization that true security can never be fully achieved. Safe Space masterfully weaves together the intricacies of human interaction, social dynamics, and the blurred lines between reality and performance. Director Iain Peck skillfully ratchets up the tension as the group descends into chaos, leaving the audience questioning who is in control and whose 'safe space' is truly secure.