Often it’s the little movies, the independent movies made from almost no money, that are the real stand outs. With such a little investment the filmmakers are given the opportunity to take more risks and create something truly unique. This was most definitely the case with last year’s film Room. Making a lot of people’s end of the year lists I didn’t actually get to see Room until recently, usually I wouldn’t review a film this late after it’s release because it would have been long out of theaters, but Room being an indie film had a very limited run in theaters anyway, so I thought I would highlight it and encourage people to check it out via On Demand or whatever other avenues it’s available on.

Room follows a young woman and her son. The young woman played by Brie Larson in an Oscar-winning performance was kidnapped at the age of 17 and is being forced by her kidnapper to stay in a garden shed, she gives birth to a child while in the shed and raises him to believe that the rest of the world doesn’t exist. That the room is the only thing that is real and that everything else he observes off of a television their kidnapper gave them is just magic. The film mainly revolves around what happens when she decided to tell her son the truth about the outside world, and the two try and escape. As you can probably tell from this plot synopsis the film definitely deals with incredibly touchy subjects that are not going to be comfortable for all viewers, although the film is mostly viewed from the naive eyes of the five year old son played by then eight year old Jacob Tremblay. This makes the events in the film less traumatic than they would be through the eyes of someone who understands all of the stories events fully.

The direction and cinematography are subtle and understated but perfect in execution. There isn’t as much flashy filmmaking as there is in a film like The Revenant but there doesn’t need to be, this is an intimate and emotional story and the directing is appropriately delicate. The performances are also pretty exceptional, pretty much the entire film hinges on the performances of the two leads and they are as nuanced and emotional as one would hope. I really believed the connection of the two main characters, not only are they mother and son but they’re the only person each other has seen minus the kidnapper for the past five years. The actors display this strong bond perfectly not shying away from showing the emotional trauma both of them have obviously received.  The score is also a great match for the movie, combining childlike wonder with sadness and melancholy fitting the tone of the film perfectly.

Overall I was very very impressed with Room. It’s subtle sure, but expertly crafted, after all it is much harder to make two people talking interesting than it is to make an epic battle, but Room pulls it off magnificently. It’s really one of the best films of last year and I’m glad it got all the attention it got, although I think it deserves more honestly.

I give Room a 9.5/10 I reserve a 10 for the super elite but Room was dangerously close to getting that score. Recommended to those looking for a small, intricate, expertly crafted and emotional film who aren’t afraid to watch films that deal with difficult subject matter.