Amanda Harper is a character from the 2019 horror film Escape Room. She is one of the six participants in the Minos escape room death game. She is portrayed by Deborah Ann Wolf.
History[]
Before the events of the film, Amanda had served in the US military. While on tour in Iraq, she saw many horrors and even lost her entire unit to an IED. Amanda survived, but struggled with PTSD and survivor's guilt ever since. Because of this, she was selected to take part in Minos' death game.
After arriving at the Minos building, Amanda met fellow participants Zoey, Ben, Danny, Jason and Mike. After several minutes of waiting without being seen to, the group attempted to walk out only to find that the waiting room door was locked. Huge oven coils emerged from the walls and ceiling and the room began to quickly heat up. Fortunately, the participants were able to solve the puzzle and escape through a hidden crawlspace, although Amanda suffered a claustrophobic attack while inside the crawlspace. Zoey helped Amanda get through the crawlspace and they joined the others inside a wooden shack.
After solving the combination lock on the door of the shack, the group emerged into another room that had been made to resemble a wintery forest. It was here that the group suffered their first casualty as Danny fell through the icy floor and drowned in the water beneath. The others were able to obtain the key to the exit just in time and escaped before the floor collapsed completely.
The next room appeared to be an upside-down billiards bar, with the bar and furniture attached to the ceiling and ceiling fans standing on the floor. As the group searched for clues, a phone on the ceiling started ringing and the receiver dropped down. Petula Clark's Downtown began piping through the receiver, adding further frustration to the situation. When the song stopped, part of the floor gave way, revealing a deep, empty pit below.
Behind the bar was a safe containing the key to the exit. Zoey was able to solve a sliding puzzle on the wall that revealed the combination to the safe. However, each time the music stopped playing through the phone, more of the floor would collapse, leaving little time for them to retrieve the key. As the most athletic of the group, Amanda made it across the room to the bar and used the code to unlock the safe. Inside was a final clue revealing that the 8-ball on the pool table was the key.
Amanda's gymnastic ability allowed her to grab onto the upside-down pool table and grab the 8-ball key. However, the last part of the floor collapsed just after she grabbed it. Holding on to the dangling telephone reciever, she tossed the 8-ball to Jason. The others tried to reach a pool cue over to Amanda in a vain effort to save her, but the phone wire snapped from Amanda's weight and she fell into the pit to her death.
Not Quite Dead...[]
As it turns out, Amanda was not killed when she fell. The bottom of the shaft she fell down was a hologram and she landed safely inside a concealed room. Minos took her prisoner and held her daughter Sonya hostage in order to force Amanda to design their next game. If Amanda refused, Minos would kill Sonya.
In the sequel Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, Zoey Davis survived another of Minos' deadly games, this one being designed by Amanda. Emerging in a mock-up of an attic filled with memories relating to Sonya, Amanda appeared before Zoey, explaining how Minos had captured her and forced her to design the game. Having given up hope of ever beating Minos, Amanda tried to persuade Zoey to agree to design their next game. Zoey flat-out refused, at which point a mirror slid away to reveal a sealed-off room containing Ben Miller. The chamber began filling up with water and it was clear that it wasn't meant to be a puzzle; Ben was supposed to drown in there. Refusing to give in, Zoey figured out a way to save Ben and Amanda helped her to do it. They broke off the pipe supplying gas to the fireplace and moved it next to the thick glass panel between them and Ben. They then ignited the gas and the resulting fire heated up the metal frame holding the glass, causing it to expand and the glass to shatter, freeing Ben before he drowned.
Amanda then helped Ben and Zoey get out of the Minos facility and they arrived at a New York police station, telling the police everything that had happened to them. This is the last that is seen of Amanda as she parts ways with Zoey and Ben. What becomes of her afterwards is unknown.