Room (2015) Review

A young woman who was abducted when she was 17 years old has been trapped in the Room for 7 years. Having a son in the process, not long after his 5th birthday she has decided that she must get him out.

The buzz and talk surrounding this film has been huge before it’s UK release date and picking up nominations for the up and coming Oscars as well including Best Picture. It really is such a powerful yet heartbreaking film all rolled into one. We are told the story through Jack’s eyes with different voice overs and I am pretty sure that is how it is found even more heartbreaking.

Turning 5 years old and he has only ever been in that one room, has no idea about the outside world and thinks everything is perfect inside ‘Room’. It is very strange and difficult to watch at time as it really does break your heart, for many different reasons. The main reason initially anyway has to be for Jack who has only ever talked to his Ma. Who has protected and hidden him away from Nick.

Nick the man who abducted Joy when she was walking home from school one day, this is a story we have unfortunately heard quite a lot of times in recent years of young girls being taken. The common theme seems to be that they are then found somewhere murdered, but it has also happened where they have been kept as a prisoner for years as well. This film takes us through that but we don’t see anything before the Room either.

I think that made the film even more powerful as if we had seen all of the build up it would have taken the edge off how she ended up there and been more about that. I really cannot think of anything worse than being kept locked away by someone, as we see Old Nick rapes he every night. The worst thing is he actually thinks he is being kind and caring by bringing them things.

While the story is not based on any real life events, we do know that this type of thing has happened. As we find out her name and a little about her past, when Joy eventually comes up with a plan to get Jack out who will then be able to save her. It really does then make for some incredible scenes which leave you gasping for breath wondering what will happen next.

So the film can really be split into two parts, inside the room and then what happens when they manage to escape back to the real world. I found that part to be even more interesting for a 5 year old boy who has never seen anything that was not on TV. How he struggles to communicate with anyone but Ma and that it takes him a while to adapt. The opposite to this has to be Joy who massively struggles to be in the real world again and cannot take it. While she seems better to begin with, something that makes you wonder what it must feel like to be in isolation for so long and then try to have a “normal” life again.

It really is something else to watch and gives you so many things to wonder and think about. Incredible performance from Brie Larson but I do believe she was well and truly outdone by Jacob Tremblay. Quite possibly the best ever performance I have seen from such a young actor, honestly incredible. The innocence of a child and seeing things for the first time through his eyes was amazing, can you even imagine it being too bright in daylight?