Room

2015 • 117 minutes
4.5
3.34K reviews
93%
Tomatometer
R
Rating
Eligible
Watch in a web browser or on supported devices Learn More

About this movie

Both highly suspenseful and deeply emotional, ROOM is a unique and unexpectedly tender exploration of the boundless love between a mother and her child under the most harrowing of circumstances. ROOM tells the extraordinary story of Jack (Jacob Tremblay in a breakout performance), a spirited 5 year-old who is looked after by his loving and devoted Ma (Brie Larson, SHORT TERM 12, TRAINWRECK). Like any good mother, Ma dedicates herself to keeping Jack happy and safe, nurturing him with warmth and love and doing typical things like playing games and telling stories. Their life, however, is anything but typical—they are trapped—confined to a windowless, 10-by-10-foot space, which Ma has euphemistically named “Room.” Ma has created a whole universe for Jack within Room, and she will stop at nothing to ensure that, even in this treacherous environment, Jack is able to live a complete and fulfilling life. But as Jack’s curiosity about their situation grows, and Ma’s resilience reaches its breaking point, they enact a risky plan to escape, ultimately bringing them face-to-face with what may turn out to be the scariest thing yet: the real world. ROOM also stars three-time Academy Award nominee Joan Allen and Academy Award nominee William H. Macy. At once a taut narrative of captivity and freedom, an imaginative trip into the wonders of childhood, and a profound portrait of a family’s bonds and fortitude, ROOM is a beautifully transcendent experience based on the award-winning global bestseller by Emma Donoghue. Director Lenny Abrahamson (FRANK) remains faithful to the novel while bringing Jack, Ma and their entirely singular world to heart-pounding and intensely cinematic life. ROOM demonstrates the triumphant power of familial love even in the darkest of circumstances, and is sure to take its place among the most emotionally affecting films to ever explore the bond between parents and children.
Rating
R

Ratings and reviews

4.5
3.34K reviews
Elle Ducros
February 27, 2016
A soft peddled story of a girl held captive in a back yard shed where she has her captors baby. They have a kitchen, a toilet and bathtub, running hot water a tv. He comes once a week bringing treats and favors in exchange for a little housewife flavored sex. I don't expect anyone of the women who have survived being held captive will tell such a vanilla story.
7 people found this review helpful
Justin Grieco
April 12, 2016
read the book...the script is painfully dumbed down, the unique narrative is completely lost, the director makes the obvious choice for every single beat...the centerpiece sequence mid-film is totally botched. The book is gripping, powerful, thought-provoking and unforgettable. The movie is a dull and unconvincing throwback to something Farrah Fawcett would have starred in on TV in the 80s. Very overrated stuff. Larson was not Oscar worthy ..in fact...she's even kind of terrible at times. I couldn't put the book down....I couldn't wait for the movie to end. Disappointment.
39 people found this review helpful
Chris Morris
May 19, 2018
This was one of the most heart-wrenching movies I have ever seen. I kept imagining being in this situation with my son and it made my stomach turn. The acting by both the mother and the son was great. Hearing what the son had to say made me hurt inside. The happy ending helped me deal w/ the first 100 minutes of pain. One thing that could have made the movie better was if there was more depth to how the son adjusted to being outside of Room.