Room

Jack: When I was small, I only knew small things. But now I'm five, I know everything!

Room, directed by Lenny Abrahamson, tells an incredible story of 5-year-old Jack (Jacob Tremblay) and his mother Joy (Brie Larson) trapped in a room for 7 years by Joy's kidnapper, Old Nick (Sean Bridgers). Jack, who has lived his whole life in this room, doesn't even believe the rest of the world exists while Joy becomes increasingly concerned about their situation and seeks escape now that Jack is old enough to help. But all plans of escape are risky and even if they get out, the world may not be what they remember.

SPOILERS AHEAD

One of the reasons this movie works so well, aside from the much praised acting by Larson and Tremblay, is that it is told from the perspective of Jack, who is too young to fully understand the horror of what is happening. He has an acceptance born of ignorance that prevents the whole thing from sinking into despair and allows the audience to see the parallel between Jack leaving the room with only his mother to the wider world filled with people and possibilities to the journey everyone makes as they grow. We see Jack try to cling to the familiar but unhealthy room he was raised in before finally growing with his new surroundings. What he is left with is a mishmash of the imaginative worldview he was forced to adopt in Room with a slow acceptance of things like trees and grandparents and pancakes.

Joy brings to life the power of the mother-son relationship that is the core of the film. She needs her son as much as he needs her and they both act selfishly toward the other and make great sacrifices in turn. Her trip home is especially difficult as her parents have divorced and moved during her absence and the normalcy she craves is something she can no longer appreciate. Seeing her through her young son's eyes is at times heartbreaking but Jack became the core of her existence during her captivity and her love for him is obvious. The film accepts that there is no easy answer for their recovery and we are left with an ending that is hopeful but not certain.

Room is a truly moving film in part because of how understated and real it feels. It is as intimate as its surroundings and exemplifies not just what it is to survive but what is to live. The subject matter is treated with enough sensitivity to be accessible to a wider audience so if you are interested in films about childhood and parent-child relationships, I highly recommend this one.