A raw, unconventional take on abduction.

Abducted at the age of 17 by a man known as ‘Old Nick’, Joy Newsome (Brie Larson) has been held captive for 7 years. The one thing however, that has kept her alive, is her 5-year-old son, Jack (Jacob Tremblay). The two share a strong bond. The film shadows the characters lives in ‘Room’, their attempts to escape, and emotions dealt with, throughout this traumatic experience.

Brie Larson does a marvellous and very much realistic job portraying Joy Newsome; we see several different sides to her. We not only see a woman fighting to hold on to her sanity, but a loving mother role despite everything that is going on. Come the time of the Academy Awards, she will most certainly receive a ‘Best Actress’ nomination. Jack, Joy’s 5-year-old son, portrayed by Jacob Tremblay grows up in what he calls “Room”. This is one of the top children’s performances I’ve witnessed as of the past 2 years. The two have an irremovable bond. The contrast of seeing the situation through Joy’s eyes compared to seeing it through Jack’s is truly incredible. There is an overriding sense of hope, accentuated by the skylight on the ceiling. For every second of alarm and tension, there are surprisingly light-hearted scenes which juxtapose.

While it’s slow, Room manages to be heart-breaking, unsettling and inspirational all at once. As a member of the audience, you feel as though you also are confined in the room with the two characters, trying to come up with an escape plan. All in all, Room is a gut-wrenching survival tale of hope and endurance that’s worthy of your time. It may be small in scale, but the effect it has on you is huge. One of the finest films of 2015; don’t miss it.

Side note: Avoid watching the trailer, it gives far too much away…