Brick

A couple whose apartment building is suddenly surrounded by a mysterious brick wall must work with their neighbors to find a way out.

Introduction

Surprisingly good. At first, I thought it was kind of an escape room concept, where everything will be filmed in their apartment and would only circulate around them, fortunately I was wrong. It involved other elements and they were able to slowly reveal them without it feeling kind of “out of nowhere”. Directed by Philip Koch.

“Brick is a German sci-fi thriller about a couple, Tim and Olivia, who wake up to find their apartment building has been completely sealed off by mysterious, impenetrable black bricks. Cut off from the outside world with no communication, they must team up with their neighbors to find a way to escape the building and solve the puzzle of the brick walls before their resources and tempers run out.”

Characters

Main character was the pillar of everything, not just because he’s our main protagonist, but the acting as well was top tier compared with the other’s. He properly displayed fear, panic, and the uncertainty of their future.

All other people involved gave excellent performances and helped bring emotion from the screen to its viewers. The tension and anxiety of bring trapped was conveyed deeply by each and everyone of them. Great casting.

Plot and Pacing

Honestly, I thought it was going to be another escape room flick, but the plot thickens and they told the story very well. Slowly, things unfolded and I was locked in for the ride.

The Brick

The main issue that the story deals with was the brick wall that was supposedly wrapped around their apartment. It was subtlely hinted at during the first few scenes of the movie with the commotion going around an area.

The design of it was… well, literally a black colored brick wall. There was no way an ordinary person could open it and that design was sleek. Reminds me of Big Hero 6’s microbots. It was simple but the complexity behind its technology was deep and will get you thinking what it really is.

Unique Plot But Not Very Realistic

Brick intrigued me because of its original plot, but once everything settled down, just before the credits rolled it, it dawned on me that it wasn’t very realistic.

Okay, so SPOILER ALERT here until the next paragraph. Ready?

When they escaped the apartment and they’re outside now, no one was around. Literally no one, it was like a ghost town. I get that its a sort of an apocalyptic reality, but surely though, some people would’ve been outside at 4am, drinking and partying with friends, or even a drunkard. Unless, everyone outside at the time of the Brick’s activation would have been overtaken and consumed by it, that would’ve been awesome in my opinion.

SPOILER END.

Final Thoughts

The premise is original and it always intrigues me when the movie has no definite antagonist, much like 2012 (2009) and Contagion (2011). Where humanity’s greatest threat is amongst themselves. If you can overlook the gaps in logic, its a pretty good sci-fi flick. Definitely recommending this.