The Room (2019) Movie Review

Review by Seth Metoyer, MoreHorror.com, THE ROOM (2019) is a psychological horror movie currently streaming on Shudder. I went into this film mostly blind with only a small synopsis reading beforehand. Perhaps it was because I didn’t have high expectations, but I really enjoyed this film and think that it deserves more than one viewing. Check out our full The Room review below!

The Room begins with the loving couple Kate (Olga Kurylenko) and Matt (Kevin Janssens) in the process of moving into a fixer-upper house is apparently the boonies of Maryland, USA. Matt is an ambitious artist, and Kate is a “translator”, but the story never really focuses on her career so she basically seems like a stay-at-home wife, for the most part.

Not too long after moving in, Matt stumbles across a secret room in the house, where the lucky person is able to make wishes, and those wishes are granted. I don’t want to spoil too much of the film, but the main movie quote is “The only thing more dangerous than a person who can’t get what they want is a person that gets whatever they want.” That quote comes to light later in the film.

As I mentioned earlier, The Room was a treat for me. Immediately the story makes sure the viewer understands that this is not a paranormal horror thriller. That trope is a little overdone anyway. I don’t really like waiting for half of a film to discover whether or not the house is haunted, the characters are crazy or there’s some killer looming in the crevices of the house (see “The Boy” 2016). There are also, thankfully, no “jump-scares” to try to grasp cheap scares from viewers that are also overdone in a lot of horror and thriller movies. The Room focuses on its main theme, gluttony, greed, and consequences.

I have to say that Olga Kurylenko (Mara, Vampire Academy, Seven Psychopaths) nails this role as Kate. I absolutely love watching Kurylenko on screen. Not only is she a spectacular actress, her presence just ignites the screen, and any movie she is in greatly benefits from her inclusion. At first, actor Kevin Janssens (Revenge, The Bouncer, Savage State) seems like one of those basic, boring “bro-dudes” whose “good-looks-only” snag him the beautiful woman. However, I was genuinely happy to find that his acting wasn’t bad in this role, and the character had some depth beyond how many “artists” are painted in film. I also liked Janssen in 2017’s REVENGE.

A few standout things for me in THE ROOM (2019) were some of the things Matt and Kate “wished for”. Again, I won’t go into too much detail in order to avoid major spoilers, but being a fan of art myself, I loved the nod to Vincent van Gogh. I also enjoyed seeing Kate let loose during a particular scene as she and her husband party it up until the philosophical implications grab hold.

You can watch The Room streaming on Shudder or purchase the DVD from RLJE Films on July 21, 2020.

Directed and written by Christian Volckman, The Room has a bit of a Lovecraft vibe, and fans of the Black Mirror series might enjoy this one.

Official THE ROOM (2019) Plot Synopsis:

Matt and Kate buy an isolated house. While moving, they discover a strange room that grants them an unlimited number of material wishes. But, since Kate has had two miscarriages, what they miss the most is a child. Director: Christian Volckman Stars: Olga Kurylenko, Kevin Janssens, Joshua Wilson, John Flanders, Carole Weyers, Francis Chapman

Official The Room (2019) Trailer: