A little boy is held captive in a room with his mother since his birth, so he has never known the world outside.A little boy is held captive in a room with his mother since his birth, so he has never known the world outside.A little boy is held captive in a room with his mother since his birth, so he has never known the world outside.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 108 wins & 143 nominations total
Summary
Reviewers say 'Room' is a powerful film with strong performances, particularly from Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. The movie delves into themes of captivity, motherhood, and isolation's psychological impact. Critics commend its emotional depth, cinematography, and Lenny Abrahamson's direction. Some find it slow or repetitive. The adaptation from Emma Donoghue's book is generally praised, though some feel it sugar-coats certain aspects. The mother-son relationship and their journey to freedom are central themes.
Featured reviews
Based on the novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue, 'Room' is a challenging, unsettling, harrowing film, that leaves you disturbed. But that is its sheer power. The Incredible Performances only add to the film's hefty nature.
'Room' Synopsis: After five-year-old Jack and his mother escape from the enclosed surroundings that Jack has known his entire life, the boy makes a thrilling discovery: the outside world.
'Room' is a disturbing story about bad things that happen to good people. But its also about hope & fighting back. Its shocking to see the protagonist, a child, discover the world along-with his brave mother, who survived a harrowing experience. I was engrossed & often disturbed by the narrative, especially after the son & mother escape. The series of events that follow are so gut-wrenching, I almost broke down.
'Room' is masterfully penned by Emma Donoghue herself. The Writing is consistently powerful & the dialogue are realistic to the core. Lenny Abrahamson's Direction is first-class. He has handled this dramatic, unsettling tale with complete flourish. Cinematography is perfectly claustrophobic. Editing is razor-crisp. Art Design is skilfully done.
Performance-Wise: Brie Larson & Jacob Tremblay deliver incredible performances. Brie is astounding as the tormented, yet brave protagonist, while Jacob steals the show with a flawless performance. The child does wonders & makes 'Room' unforgettable. Of the supporting cast, Joan Allen & The Always Solid William H. Macy leave a solid mark.
On the whole, 'Room' is a must watch! Its certainly unsettling, but its power is undeniable.
'Room' Synopsis: After five-year-old Jack and his mother escape from the enclosed surroundings that Jack has known his entire life, the boy makes a thrilling discovery: the outside world.
'Room' is a disturbing story about bad things that happen to good people. But its also about hope & fighting back. Its shocking to see the protagonist, a child, discover the world along-with his brave mother, who survived a harrowing experience. I was engrossed & often disturbed by the narrative, especially after the son & mother escape. The series of events that follow are so gut-wrenching, I almost broke down.
'Room' is masterfully penned by Emma Donoghue herself. The Writing is consistently powerful & the dialogue are realistic to the core. Lenny Abrahamson's Direction is first-class. He has handled this dramatic, unsettling tale with complete flourish. Cinematography is perfectly claustrophobic. Editing is razor-crisp. Art Design is skilfully done.
Performance-Wise: Brie Larson & Jacob Tremblay deliver incredible performances. Brie is astounding as the tormented, yet brave protagonist, while Jacob steals the show with a flawless performance. The child does wonders & makes 'Room' unforgettable. Of the supporting cast, Joan Allen & The Always Solid William H. Macy leave a solid mark.
On the whole, 'Room' is a must watch! Its certainly unsettling, but its power is undeniable.
Good film - incredible acting by the kid (and Brie Larson). Well told story, enjoyable (sometimes tense) film.
10imdmt
*Insert all 9 & 10 reviews here* I was in awe during the entire film. Lenny Abrahamson & the writing team made sure there was not one dull moment. The addition of "insignificant" characters and plot twists are later realized to be so significant and influential in keeping the film alive throughout its duration. It was the little things that made this story one of the best I've seen in a long time. I experienced an entire palette of emotions all at once and was left in a deep level of curiosity and reflection. Very few films have the power to continue to influence its audience after the credits. Room is endless in the most beautiful way.
Driven mostly by the initially intriguing concept, this film surprised me by resolving this around this mid-point of the film. Not having read the book or really heard anything specific about the film, it did catch me off guard in a small way, since I had come into the film with the specifics of the situation in mind. The first half of the film does make it more than this though, because I was drawn into a relationship which was emotionally raw and compelling. The film uses the limits of the room really well, focusing on the mother/son relationship and making us care about it while also being horrified by the specifics.
The second half of the film manages to maintain that engagement, while flipping the characters in such a way that made the drama work in a much different way, and cast a different light on the first half of the film. It is tough in terms of subject matter, but at the same time it is easy to watch because of how well the film draws you into caring about the lead two characters. A big part of this is how well both Larson and Tremblay delivery; they are organic and natural performances, and are supported equally well by the likes of Allen and Macey. The writing and the performances make it, and in the end the film is a lot of heart and works as a result of this.
The second half of the film manages to maintain that engagement, while flipping the characters in such a way that made the drama work in a much different way, and cast a different light on the first half of the film. It is tough in terms of subject matter, but at the same time it is easy to watch because of how well the film draws you into caring about the lead two characters. A big part of this is how well both Larson and Tremblay delivery; they are organic and natural performances, and are supported equally well by the likes of Allen and Macey. The writing and the performances make it, and in the end the film is a lot of heart and works as a result of this.
I know one thing, I will never, ever forget this heartrending, unbelievably-acted 'movie' for the rest of my days. I'm just at a loss for words and struggling to describe how truly powerful and heart-grabbing this story was. I'll go so far as to say that if you don't cry, shed a tear, or feel the urge to weep profusely after (or while) watching Room, you don't have a heart. The mother (Brie Larson) and her son (Jacob Tremblay, 9 years old!) carry this entire movie. The beauty of Room is in its bare rawness, realness and universally relatable nature. What can I say? It tapped into something deep, deep, deep within me and just ripped my heart to shreds and had me in tears; sometimes tears of sadness, and other times tears of heavenly joy. It made me smile at times and even laugh. But most of all, it always had my eyes glued to the screen and my soul enthralled by what I was witnessing. This is one of the best, truly real stories ever told and one of the best uses of cinema I've ever seen. ...Try not to read much/anything about it before going in to see it (and yes, definitely catch it in a theater near you ASAP). Go in and be engrossed and moved (in ways I can't describe) by this experience. 10/10 *Hands down* the best film of 2015, and the single best thing I've seen in years. :')
Did you know
- TriviaBrie Larson isolated herself in her home for a month, without access to a phone or the internet, while following a strict diet. She undertook this experience to understand better what Ma and Jack were going through. Larson has explained that, as an introvert who enjoys staying at home, she initially thought her month of isolation would feel like a vacation. However, during the last week, she became very depressed and found herself crying all day.
- GoofsAs Jack is lying face-up, his head at the tailgate of the truck, he beholds the naked sky for the first time. The world is passing by - from top to bottom of the screen. This is exactly the opposite of how he would see it from his established perspective.
- Quotes
Jack: 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. But Ma says they don't live together in the hammock house anymore. Grandma lives there with her friend Leo now. And Grandpa lives far away. I've seen persons with different faces, and bigness, and smells, talking all together. The world's like all TV planets on at the same time, so I don't know which way to look and listen. There's doors and... more doors. And behind all the doors, there's another inside, and another outside. And things happen, happen, HAPPENING. It never stops. Plus, the world's always changing brightness, and hotness. And there's invisible germs floating everywhere. When I was small, I only knew small things. But now I'm five, I know EVERYTHING!
- Crazy creditsIn the "Special Thanks to" part of the credit, there's the name of Jack White, the guitarist and vocalist of the band The White Stripes, a poster of which can be seen in a scene in Joy's bedroom.
- SoundtracksBag Fight
Written by Klaus Badelt and Andrew Raiher
Performed by Klaus Badelt, Daniel Rojas, and Andrew Raiher
Published by KB Publishing and A Olympus Pictures
Courtesy of Wunderhorn Music, Inc.
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- La Habitacion
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $13,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $14,677,654
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $118,298
- Oct 18, 2015
- Gross worldwide
- $35,402,766
- Runtime
- 1h 58m(118 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
- 2.39 : 1
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