A kidnapped mother and son make a daring escape, and experience a dramatic homecoming provoking a look into the power of imagination and the unstoppable force of a mother's love.
Director:
Lenny AbrahamsonWriters:
Emma Donoghue (screenplay), Emma Donoghue (based on the novel by)Stars:
Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers | See full cast & crew »
Popularity
1 ( 5)
Storyline
ROOM tells the extraordinary story of Jack, a spirited 5-year-old who is looked after by his loving and devoted mother. 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 10-by-10-foot space that 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. Written by A24
Plot Keywords:
mother son relationship | escape | kidnapping | tooth | imprisonment|Taglines:
Love knows no boundariesGenres:
DramaMotion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for language | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
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Details
Official Sites:
Official site | Official site [Japan]Country:
Ireland | CanadaLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
22 January 2016 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
La habitación See more »Filming Locations:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada See more »Box Office
Budget:
$6,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
$118,298 (USA) (16 October 2015)Gross:
$14,161,502 (USA) (4 March 2016)Company Credits
Production Co:
A24, Element Pictures, No Trace Camping See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
Ma: Ssh. Go back to sleep.
Jack: [reciting to himself] Once upon a time, before I came, you cried and cried and watched TV all day, until you were a zombie. But then I zoomed down from heaven, through skylight, into Room. Whoosh-pshew! And I was kicking you from the inside. Boom, boom! And then I shot out onto Rug with my eyes wide open, and you cutt-ed the cord and said, "Hello, Jack!"
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Written and performed by Jon Hopkins
Published by Domino Publishing Company Ltd and Notting Hill Music o/b/o Notting Hill Music (UK) Ltd
All rights administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Courtesy of Domino Recording Company Ltd.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Ma tells Jack about the Count of Monte Cristo, whose main character was imprisoned in one cell for many years. See more »Goofs
When Jack is cracking eggs waiting for Nancy to wipe egg off his hands, the whisk in the bowl disappears out of the bowl without being touched, in fact is not visible on the table at all. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Ma: Ssh. Go back to sleep.
Jack: [reciting to himself] Once upon a time, before I came, you cried and cried and watched TV all day, until you were a zombie. But then I zoomed down from heaven, through skylight, into Room. Whoosh-pshew! And I was kicking you from the inside. Boom, boom! And then I shot out onto Rug with my eyes wide open, and you cutt-ed the cord and said, "Hello, Jack!"
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Connections
Featured in Conan: Carl Reiner/Jacob Tremblay/Emily King (2016) See more »Soundtracks
CampfireWritten and performed by Jon Hopkins
Published by Domino Publishing Company Ltd and Notting Hill Music o/b/o Notting Hill Music (UK) Ltd
All rights administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Courtesy of Domino Recording Company Ltd.
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How did Brie Larson prepare for the role of Ma and expand it from the novel?
Q: Why did Ma wait until Jack was 5 to escape from Room?
Q: How did Ma give birth to Jack while in Room?
Not that he lacks for companionship. Ma (Brie Larson) is with him and their endless days consist of cooking, reading, and watching TV where Jack is told that what he sees on the screen is not real, only pretend. All he knows of the world is what he sees in front of his eyes. Old Nick (Sean Bridgers) brings food and other household items but when he comes, Jack has to hide in his wardrobe, out of sight. Ma, we find out, has been kept prisoner and used for sex by the hulking man who comes every night and we know that Jack is a result of his mother's rape. Jack is the focus of the film and we see everything from his point of view, with the help of his sometime narration but we can also get into his mother's mind and feel her pain and live her dreams.
There is never any doubt of his mother's love though the obvious strain of keeping herself from crying out every minute is painfully obvious. To Jack, she is the center of his world and his reason for being. When the second half of the film takes a surprising turn and shifts 180 degrees, Jack and Ma are not prepared for what awaits them. Even when an alternative is suggested as possible, he doesn't want to hear anything about a different world with blue sky and rivers and trees. Room is a tense and compelling film in which Brie Larson more than fulfills the brilliance that she showed in Short Term 12 and should make her an Oscar contender. Tremblay is also superb.
He lives his character and makes him come alive, even though he is only nine years old. Supporting roles by Joan Allen and William H. Macy also contribute to the film's second half but it is always Larson and Tremblay that carry the day. The film is not mawkish or sentimental even though the soaring score by Stephen Rennicks comes close. While there are has some plot implausibilities, the film is a tribute to the resiliency and the dedicated love of a parent for their child. It is also a teaching experience. Like many who are walled off from each other and think the box they are in is all there is, the film can give us the combination to open the locked door, if we take the risk to turn the key.