The Oak Room

I always find films based on plays interesting to watch. Theoretically, having a story that is very contained in its settings should hamper a film. However I often find that because the film has to rely on terrific dialogue they can often be some of the best films going around. I wouldn't say 'The Oak Room' is one of the best films going around mind you, but it certainly had some good stuff going for it.

The film is both simple and complicated at the same time. On the surface it can come across very simply, but under the water everything is paddling mighty fast. This becomes very apparent at the end. The film is going to leave some very confused. I had to go and read an explanation about the film. Luckily I found a very well written one which explained everything in heavy detail. So I know that the film does make sense, but how many people are going to pick up all those things on a first watch? Probably not enough.

I love a film that respects its audience though and 'The Oak Room' clearly does. 7/10.

For those who enjoy storytelling, please ignore the low ratings. It is not confusing and everything makes sense. It also isnt boring at all.

A very clever and carefully-crafted film.

Great atmosphere and, despite being mostly one to one story-telling, it keeps your interest until the end.

Terrific acting from a very small cast, especially RJ Mitte and Ari Millen.

The soundtrack is very good and compliments the mood of the film well.

The script is great, although the main characters sometimes get too repetitive, as though the writers didn't fully trust the audience to get the point.

At one point, it was a story within a story and started to have an Inception feel.

Worth watching if you like your brain to be engaged during a movie.

This film is all about tension, story telling and the intrigue of what stars as very innocent normal seeming situations. It doesn't at all go in the direction you might think.

I didn't really like the slow pace and the very little plot as well as not actually having any real answers at the end but not only can I see that it is well done and is an interesting concept, I would recommend it. I do see why some people loved it. Some people will absolutely hate it and probably not stand more than 15 mins of it but you might surprise yourself.

A disloyal son returns to the bar his late father used to frequent, but who will face the music?

A web of haunting menace, woven through stories within stories, down to the fourth level where we find a piglet. The point here is to catch the drift, rather than wonder about the destination, because there's only one place all these characters are headed.

This is framed and paced with expertise, using visual and musical motifs to layer the experience; with stories split apart or laid out on divergent tracks, both fabricated and sworn to be true. It even includes a goose-the-truth scene to show how exactly to tell a story - and, yes, the barman made that story up, but his next one reveals all you need to take to heart and, in combination with the piglet story, provides a disturbing foundation.

The two lead performances are excellent, and the production is to a high standard, varying the emphasis in what is basically a two-hander. And I loved the music from Torero and Steph Copeland.

Overall: Not really a horror, but a weird tale done to perfection.