Room 0

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.

Disclaimer: I am family friends with the writer-director, but I saw this independently of him and my words below are my own.

As noted in the title, fans of Room 104 may appreciate the minimalist style of this indie movie: everything takes place in one room, with the main actor (Remy Chartier) being almost the only one seen onscreen and special effects limited to flashes and general graphics. This allows the viewer to focus on the slow-burning plot which expands into a complex situation where it is discovered that time is being held hostage by a mysterious force. Where the film succeeds best is showing the evolution of our heroine as she tries to battle the hopelessness and loneliness of her situation, during which she reevaluates her sense of self. In other words, the movie makes the most of itself by allowing the viewers to imagine what goes on outside the room while seeing the effects isolation can have on one person, a very relatable concept in a post-COVID world.

So if this is the type of movie you appreciate and are always trying to find more of, I recommend it.

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.

Twilight Zone Grounghogs Day Black Mirror Cluastrophobic Mystery Thriller that pulls you in the Sympathetic Frustrations right along with the only lead Character on Screen who's only building actions are driven by timelapsed conversations with other characters you never see but cleary hear so you know within a few sentences but never quite sure why and what has or is happening. Every new answer spawns more questions. Time moves faster and faster towards an ending of many possibilities with little actual Information almost like reading a book where your mind fills in the rest with your imagination. This is liking to a one woman show but with no real monolouges, some nice visuals and sonic clues fill our the rest of the egnimatic journey.

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!