Room (2015)

 

Genre: Thriller/ Mystery

Time: 1h 58mins

Director: Lenny Abrahamson

Quick Summary: A little boy is held captive in a room with his mother since his birth, so he has never known the world outside.

Imagine yourself as a 5-year-old child discovering for the first time a brand new world exists outside of your room. Absolutely beautiful, like this film

You know at first, I was surprised at how little this film took place in the “Room” where they're being held captive but then I realized it isn't about that. It was more about their adjustment to life outside of the room after 6 years of being held captive and how difficult and scary it was. Especially for the young boy whose life has always been room. A lot of the more emotional scenes got to me with this as for a child, of course, it would have been overwhelming seeing the world as we know it stretch out forever.

Though some scenes are so heartwarming that honestly I nearly cried at them. In one particular very touching and loving scene, the boy asks his Grandma to cut his long hair so that the strength that he thinks his shoulder-length hair possesses can be transferred over to his sick Ma so she can return home from the hospital. The boy who understandably is initially withdrawn from anyone other than his Ma simply tells his Grandma after she washes and cuts his hair that he loves her. Both these scenes are so lovely as it's so difficult to trust anyone after what they have gone through.

Brie Larson does a wonderful job as the mother and the complexity that comes with her character is handled so well. Though she loves her son and wants to protect him she struggles being trapped in this one room with him becomes a burden, but she knows she is the center of his world. 

This is absolutely tense at a lot of moments and I was on the edge of my seat for most of them. It's all so gut-wrenching and heartbreaking at times, but on the flip side, it's so enduring and warming you can't help but love it.

It does fall flat a bit in the middle with some pacing issues that really slow down the film sadly. As also, more of a personal thing, but the child was so infuriating for the first half of the film. Throwing tantrums and screaming and being overall a nuisance. Honestly, it almost put me off the film.

Don't let that stop you from watching this stunning film though. Something I love about this is that it keeps innocent and stays away from the gritty parts. Whilst being a darker storyline, it is nice to be kept more lighthearted

8/10

"I've been in the world 37 hours. I've seen pancakes, and a stairs, and birds, and windows, and hundreds of cars. And clouds, and police, and doctors, and grandma and grandpa"

"Jack: There are so many things out here. And sometimes it's scary. But that's ok. Because it's still just you and me..."

"Ma: I'm not a good enough Ma.

Jack: But you're Ma."