Room 0

I have been looking forward to watching this film for sometime. I am a Filmmaker myself and I know many of the people involved with this production. While I am friends with them, I will endeavor to be honest in my review.

First, this is a "Micro Budget" film which by definition means the budget for it was from 1 thousand to 100 thousand dollars (more often the lower end of that range). The production value, and skill could easily have the audience believe it had a much bigger budget. I will also say up front that there a small details that could have been done better but, I also feel that I spot them because I am a filmmaker.

Room 0 is a unique take on the classic Sci-Fi Sub Genre of "Time Loop" stories. We are all familiar with "Groundhog's Day", "Edge of Tomorrow", and "The Butterfly Effect." Room 0 breaks new ground in this genre with the way it deals with the same event repeating over and over.

The story arc shows us a different way for the protagonist, a young actress named Natalya V. Wood and only credited as "Young Woman", turns in a very good performance as the person trapped in the loop.

The writer, Richard Kodai (also producer, director and editor) has crafted a nice, suspenseful story that will keep you guessing where it is going. Normally I can guess where a story will go, but Richard did a fine job of changing direction which makes this story unique.

The cinematography, Matthew Oistacher director of photography, production design, Richard, Natalya, and Synthia Roy, and sound design, Gordon Richards, Remy Chartier, and Richard, all combine very well to create a dark, imposing and bleak world in which this story takes place.

Richard makes excellent use of additional characters as "off screen" characters only heard on the phone. The antagonist "Big Frank" is a chilling "Mobster" type character voiced by Sean Collins. Collins voice had a mixture of Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina, and Stevie VanZandt which made the character very convincing. Other off screen characters, Dr. Galvin (Victor Jones), Luis (Matt Haynes), Dr. Malinowsky (Kenny Logsdon), and the others create a believable ensemble to support the story.

From a production (read producers) stand point Richard does an amazing job of my mantra Keep It Simple Stupid! Utilizing only one location, the interior of the hotel room, one on screen character, the Young Woman, and consistent framing and lighting allowed him to create a consistent, dark tone to the film. He resisted the urge many filmmakers would have taken to add outside scenes that would have actually taken away from his vision. The outside world is only ever seen briefly in small one or two second glimpses which add greatly to the sense of isolation the main character feels.

Over all "Room 0" is a very good film and does an excellent job of showcasing what can be accomplished in an Indie production on a micro budget. In my opinion a better film than much of what comes out of the "Hollywood/Studio" system.

Take the time to watch Room 0, I truly believe you will not be disappointed.

I've watched a lot of movies with limted budgets but this one was great The work and imagination that went into to this was great To film the whole movie in one room with basically one actress gave me doubts but after watching I realized that the plot was well thought out with action suspense and a little drama all wrapped into it the actress Natasha was amazing in her film debut I can't imagine the stress she must have felt to get this right but she nailed it If you have doubts I would encourage you to give it a try it's sure to surprise you It is a great movie and a great find for us Room 0 an amazing movie.

Disclaimer: the director is an old friend and I received a screener, but I tried to write the most objective review possible.

Room 0 is the perfect example of how you do a microbudget indie science fiction movie. With its single lead character, one claustrophobic location, and a plot that takes advantage of the lack of resources and turns them into a framework for a twisting story, writer-director Richard Kodai managed not only to create a gripping story but even to increase momentum from scene to scene, so the movie never feels sluggish. Even though at its core Room 0 relies on a sci-fi trope that has been used in various movies and TV series, this take still feels fresh. Special mention to lead actress Remy Chartier who carries the entire movie on her own with a wide range of emotions. Even the voice actors have the necessary gravitas. I only have some minor gripes, like tiny sound issues or the lack of certain scenes that could have made some plot elements even more understandable, but these are all small issues, probably due to budget constraints. Much recommended!

There are a lot of people in the world who want to be writers, actors, directors, etc. Independent films gives them a place to go and I always try to support them whenever possible. There was an interview I saw with Mr. Kodai and I believe he said he made this movie on a shoestring, like seven thousand dollars. Jeez Louise, considering how much everything costs these days he did a bang up job with this one. Good script, too. Now, on to something that bugged me. The actress is Natalya Wood, Remy is a guy. The woman did a great job and you guys should fix this. She acted her heart out and I think everyone on this project did it because it was a labor of love and a lot of fun, something you might not see anymore in the big production Hollywood films.

Just watched Richard Kodai's brilliant indie feature #Room 0 on Amazon prime. With his excellent storytelling techniques he made the audience engaged with one location and with just one lead on camera supported only by voices of other cast members. The setting and actress are a perfect fit for this psychological thriller with sci-fi elements. Almost felt like watching a Stanley Kubrick film in the scene where the lead actress is being assisted on phone by a professor - played by Victor Jones - to break the loop.

Must watch for any indie movie fan. The right to criticize the bad mainstream films as consumer comes with a responsibility to not ignore the efforts made by indie artists making films with such professional competence to the craft and passion to bring original- deep - ideas to the conversation. These brilliant local - #duval - indie film makers like Richard will eventually make big splashes soon. I am going to watch this a few more times for sure. Highly recommend watching this film now available on prime, Apple TV and many more ott platforms.