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The Front Room marks the directorial debut of twin brothers Max and Sam Eggers. Their big bro Robert's debut, The Witch, back in 2015 marked him as one of the most exciting talents of his generation and his reputation has only grown since then. This film does no such thing for the twins but it is a fairly interesting Psychological thriller.

Singer/actress Brandy plays Belinda, a pregnant anthropology professor who quits her job after she gets sick of her condescending (and possibly racist) treatment at work. This puts her and husband Norman (Andrew Burnap) in a financial bind but they are given a potential lifeline in the form of Norman's astranged stepmother Solange (Kathryn Hunter). Elderly and frail, Solange needs somewhere to live following the death of Norman's father and offers the couple access to her considerable finances in exchange for them taking her in. Norman is against the idea as Solange is a religious nut who made his childhood hell and thinks she has divine powers but Belinda reasons they need the money and time has probably mellowed his former tormentor. Turns out the couple may have bitten off more than they can chew however, and Belinda finds herself in a battle of wills, spirituality and weaponised incontinence.

The main reason to see The Front Room is the performances of central duo Brandy and Kathryn Hunter. Belinda suffers indignaties at every turn and is at various points in the film frustrated, afraid, hurt and overwhelmed but Brandy instils her with a steeliness that lets the audience know she's never out for the count. Restrained and composed (to a point) she keeps proceedings grounded. If Brandy is the film's anchor then Hunter is its soaring kite, giving a gloriously over the top and campy performance as Solange. Whether she's using her canes to stalk around the house like a velociraptor, warbling about her faith and "old fashioned" views or dishing out smug grins in Belinda's direction, her character fills every inch of the screen despite her tiny frame. For his part, Burns is fine as Norman but his character is bare bones, really only there as a witness to the battle of the two women and to indicate which way the tide is turning at any given moment.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of other undercooked elements cluttering up The Front Room. Belinda sleepwalks and has ominous dreams, Solange may be the leader of a cult, there's a Christianity versus theology angle, the issue of exactly how ill Solange is. None of this is really paid off and while its fine (and even good) for film makers to muddy the waters in aid of keeping the audience on their toes it adds to a sense the film doesn't know what it wants to be. It's too slight and the dialogue too inconsistent to be a genuine character piece, it's icky but not scary in a horror sense (we really should be passed the point where an old person's body frightens us) and while its certainly funny we veer a little close to the bone in terms of both racism and potential elder abuse to be considered a comedy.

The Front Room is inconsistent, unclear, and packs a low key ending that will frustrate some. On the other hand it packs in tense moments, laughs and two fantastic performances. Given the brief runtime (86 minutes) it's worth checking out. Unless bodily functions make you squeamish.

6 Confederate certificates out of 10 old pieces of paper.

Okay this is definitely one of A24's worst films because as much there are some aspects I appreciate, it fails to take advantage with it's concept and becomes a mess.

The Eggers Brothers crafted a somewhat interesting horror flick with some interesting concepts within its setting and strong performances from Brandy and Kathryn Hunter. Unfortunately, these positive aspects are thrown into the back due to its poorly written narrative that struggles to focus with its themes, characters that are uninteresting and annoying, and a third act that just goes nowhere.

Based on the story from Susan Hill, I'll be honest, the story felt as if it was a bit stretched out too long as it ends up making some narrative choices feel weak and creating some pacing issues. Including gross moments that feels like it wants to be mean-spirited but unlike being in a creative way, it feels forced. There are some solid camera work and presentation.

Overall, the Eggers Brothers prove that they have talents to craft something but this movie probably works better as a short film.

The trailer for this film is misleading. The movie is very unserious, but it knows it and it leans into it. The Front Room has a very simple plot, simple dialogue, and no gore. But what it does have in abundance is a sense of humor. Thanks to a great performance by Kathryn Hunter as the elderly mother, this movie is just downright entertaining at the end of the day. You realize about 10 minutes in that it's not going to reinvent the wheel; the writing is not going to be exceptionally clever. But in spite of all that the audience in my theater couldn't stop laughing throughout. So if you're in the mood for some dark humor and camp, it's definitely worth a look. 6.5/10.

Imagine a friend asking you to explain this film..

"So, an old woman moves in with her in laws. She annoys them by blowing a whistle and speaking in tongues whilst defacating on herself, a lot. The end"

This wasn't horror/thriller, it was a bad comedy with a gollum looking pensioner annoying her pregnant daughter in law for an hour.

I only gave this time due to seeing a24 being mentioned, some of the greatest horror/thrillers of recent times have came with that stamp of approval. I have no idea how this was categorised as a horror movie & it was as thrilling as vegan food.

Avoid at all costs, dont be catfished by the trailers.

I went into this movie knowing it was probably bad, but it somehow managed to be ten times worse than I could've imagined. This wasn't the "so bad it's funny" kind of film-it was just plain awful. For a thriller, it wasn't even remotely scary; it was boring, with plot twists so predictable and dull that calling them "twists" is generous. It was like watching a crazy old lady do weird and gross things for two hours, and if I wanted that, I'd just chat with my Great Aunt Marge at Thanksgiving. To top it off, there were so many scenes of poop, pee, and vomit that I'm praying to forget. Save yourself two hours and fifteen bucks-skip this mess.

The movie is marketed as a "horror" movie despite the fact that the movie is totally devoid of horror, mystery, suspense, thrills, supernature, sex, or logic. What WAS in abundance was urine and excrement - if that's even a "genre."

Kudos to Kathryn Hunter as difficult stepmom Solange. The actress, 67 in real life, very convincingly portrayed a bitty well into her 80's. Unfortunately, she was not psycho enough to be "psycho" nor evil enough to be "evil." She was simply abusive, manipulative, conniving, and racist. And I did not find that sufficient to carry a movie.

The movie would aptly be considered a quasi-psychological drama at best. There is a final twist at the end that I guess would allow the filmmakers to call the movie a "thriller" with a straight face. To call this movie a "dark comedy" I feel would give this movie too much credit.

Brandy comes home freshly from a C-section delivery and is left to stumble into her house, baby in hand, without the least bit of assistance from her husband, who takes about 10 minutes to catch up with his wife while her fresh incision is literally getting pawed by absolute strangers speaking in tongues.

Meanwhile, when the post-op wife had to nurse the newborn and hoist the poopy flailing abusive stepmom up a flight of stairs several times a day, the feckless husband tells her to just "suck it up" and "figure it out." Wow. Try that in real life!

Inexplicably, Brandy's own parents are nowhere to be seen or found. You would think they would visit with their grand-child at SOME POINT in this fiasco. And you would think she would just pack up and live with them for a while and have her husband manage the mess.

Also, we are led to believe, inasmuch as Solange furnished the entire house with newly bought antique furniture and "paid off the mortgage", she is well off - possibly even very well off. With those kind of resources, she could easily hire not one but TWO caregivers to tend to her messy self 24/7.

As someone who sees a ton of movies a year this was a rare movie, about 30 minutes in, that I debated walking out (which I've never done by the way). Reading other reviews, I see other moviegoers were less patient. At some point, watching Brandy just tolerate all the abuse from all sides was not only disturbing, but PAINFUL to watch.

By the time the movie gets to the final "reveal", I had given up on the movie so long before that that it really didn't matter.

I'm still watching and I'm mid way through the movie and still asking the question WTF am I watching! What is the point of this movie. There is no plot! The writing is horrible and there's no storyline whatsoever. I'm going to try my best to finish this movie because I love and support Brandy however, this movie is far from horror and suspense. It's more like a camp fire comedy.

Then to make matters worse I have to figure out a minimum of 500 characters just to leave a review. How much worse could it get. Now, with that being said the point to my review and let's be clear I hardly ever leave a review but this one deserves a warning to all..... DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME! This movie is TRASH!

Elderly widow Solange (Kathryn Hunter) offers to share her wealth with her estranged stepson Norman (Andrew Burnap) and his pregnant wife Belinda (Brandy Norwood) so long as the couple agree to take her into their home. However, the old woman begins to make trouble from the moment she moves in, her controlling nature, extreme religious beliefs, bizarre behaviour and chronic incontinence putting pressure on Norman and Belinda's relationship. Does the malicious old lady have a secret agenda - a sinister reason for wanting to drive a wedge between her stepson and his wife?

Well, no, actually, and that's the big problem with The Front Room: after plenty of well-executed build up, the film fails to deliver a satisfying payoff, the ending coming as a total damp squib. The misleading trailer hinted at Solange possessing dark, supernatural powers, her reasons for wanting to live with Norman and Belinda being far from Christian; however, rather than revealing the woman to be a member of an evil cult out to possess the body of Belinda or steal the life-force of the couple's child, Solange turns out to be just an ordinary obnoxious old bag, albeit one who regularly craps the bed. Writer/directors Sam and Max Eggers attempt a twist at the end of the film, but it's extremely weak, neither clever nor surprising.

To be fair, I had a pretty good time with most of the film, largely thanks to Hunter as Solange, who is absolutely hilarious, clearly having a blast playing a cantankerous, manipulative old crone in an adult diaper. It's just a real shame that the Eggers couldn't wrap things up in a more satisfying manner.

This movie was just about grossing you out and making fun of incontinence. Nothing scary at all except for a lot of faeces. Predominantly one location movies have trouble keeping the viewer entertained and this one was a stinker. Pun intended! Brandy can find a better script to be a part of. Wouldn't mind seeing more of her on screen but c'mon folks you can do better. Tired script. No horror. Nothing even to be entertained about. So what, your mother-in-law moves in and is has old views and a bit racist. Surprise surprise. If you grew up in the 40's and 50's your viewpoint on popular topics today are not going to align.

I thought it was great. It's not a horror movie in the traditional sense but it feels like it which is a side swipe. It was too real as it was something that can I does happen. I myself may have been very terrified because i never been though it and fear having to deal with something like that.

There is a demographic thing as I feel I fit into what A24 was looking to hook in with this unique film but A24 overall audience maybe too young and hip for the story. I could be wrong, the last horror film from A24 I saw I think was Bodies, Bodies, Bodies which i also enjoyed but definitely would draw a different type of viewer.

I feel bad for Brandy cause it failed and it was not fault of the movie itself.

This movie was both boring AND laughably bad. Like soooo bad, the writing was horrendous. The plot, non existent. Not to much the religious angle was so poorly executed. I don't know if these guys were maybe trying to make a campy horror classic but had no idea what they were doing or if they legit thought this was good and scary but they failed no matter what. It was terrible. Terrible. Terrible. The character choices were terrible. The pacing was terrible. The story was terrible. The plot was terrible. I literally can't express enough how terrible this movie was. It's so bad in literally writing this while the movie is still playing because this is a better use of time. The only reason this doesn't get one star is because the cast did the best they could and I like brandy. RUN AWAY, don't waste your time or your life on this.

I honestly don't understand the hate on this film. I just watched it and I enjoyed it. This is not a typical horror movie. This is a psychological movie with manipulative characters, poignant messages and horrific plot points that are intended to get under your skin, gross you out and disturb you. People seemed to enjoy "Midsommar", "Mother" and "Hereditary" for all of these same reasons so why is there so much hate for this movie?... Is it because our tormented lead character is a black woman? Is it because of the racial and religious themes throughout the film? Think about that if you liked those movies while criticizing this one.

The actress playing Solange does a fantastic job as the antagonist.

The cinematography stays interesting throughout.

If you've ever had to deal with subtle or manipulative racism and/or religion... If you've ever had to care for a senile and elderly person in your home... You will totally get every point that this movie makes and the ending is just as satisfying as watching that little white girl smile with flowers in her hair in "Midsommar". Stop all the hate.

P. S. Great soundtrack throughout the film. Classic songs with uneasy undertones.

This movie is not a typical horror film with suspense, CGI, supernatural acts, blood, monsters, etc. The horror is the reality of old age, caregiving, finances, cultish religion, racism, and parent/child manipulative relationships. It is the worst horror because it can happen and does every day for many. I thought the performance of the two protagonists (and adversaries), played by Brandy and Kathryn Hunter, was very good. Their performances were not one-dimensional. This indicates the complexity of elders and younger generations when the roles reverse. However, Solange is over the top! The husband is totally unsympathetic and unrealistic to the degree of a postpartum wife. Where are the 24/7 nurses for Solange? Paid by Solange!

Overall, it was a good movie, but not the worst. It must be taken in the spirit of a good Stephen King and somewhat a moral tale.

Kathryn Hunter is one of the best actors on the planet earth. Though this movie is ultimately unworthy of her talent, it's all in good fun. I wish I could see her on stage. What a legend!

But yeah, about this movie. It made me laugh a few times, mostly at its sheer audacity. There's a lot of flatulent and bodily excrement involved. It's quite literally a shitty movie. And there's gross breast feeding, obviously. How could there not be?

Oh, and Brandy is in it.

As filmmakers, the Egger Brothers have a long way to go before they catch up with their older brother, Robert. They may have something to offer down the road, but cinema this is not.

Did I mention what an amazing actor Kathryn Hunter is?

Felt tricked by the trailer it was not really a horror movie at all. The movie was mostly about a mother in law that goes to the bathroom on herself & smeares it everywhere not joking around. This film was overall disgusting. Half of it was the mother-in-law character defecating herself. This was more unintentionally funny than anything else. This movie as a whole is a no rating This is possibly one of the lack of enjoyment. The old step-mother's role is so annoying with her voice and the things she does. The movie just made no sense to me. I wanted to leave, but I ordered food with the movie so I figured I might as well get my monies worth. I will never recommend this movie to anyone, not even an enemy. If you come across my comment, do NOT go see this.

There has to be a better way to introduce a campy thriller without pretending to be serious. I think from the beginning if I knew it was slapstick horror, I may have been able to digest it as it was. After too many scenes featuring feces, urine, and farting one has to wonder why a treasure such a Brandy thought this is the role to sink her teeth into. If it were a serious horror, I would understand. But for what this is, it's for some one of a C-Level of celebrity. The actress that played the stepmother was very entertaining considering the brand of story telling. The premise of the old trope of the evil stepmother seemed very promising and relatable and unfortunately a ball was dropped.

This movie was so bad I felt the need to create an account. My gf was begging to leave the theater but I gave this movie the full chance I thought any movie deserved and was wrong.

I feel bad for everyone who is professionally associated with this. They spend 70% of the movie on religious imagery, for it to have honestly no significance other than just a tease and a crutch for an empty plot. The characters were unbelievable and contradictory. The score was distracting rather than immersive. The writing had the audience laughing out loud more than in any form of fear. Visually uninteresting.

The true fear I will carry from this "horror" movie is having to see another trailer begin with "A24"

The movie was actually pretty campy and fun. It doesn't go for the gore factor like other horror movies, but there are certainly some "icky" parts that might bother those with sensitivities to normal body functions, haha.

It was long overdue for Brandy to return to the big screen and I think this was a good role for her to get her wade in the water with.

This does weave in some heavy religious undertones, not so much to make mockery, but more to show how extreme it can be taken given the right influence and audience.

I won't say that anything really surprised or scared me, but plenty of fun references throughout and lots of sordid tension that mixed with the dialogue led to a few chuckles.

All in all, I'd say Cinderella had the last laugh.

This is a movie that popped onto my radar when the trailer would play at the Gateway Film Center. The bit that I saw and heard; it sounded like a horror film. I did confirm that when I saw this was showing. I didn't even realize until figuring out in my schedule that this starred former pop singer, Brandy Norwood. I did catch this on its opening Thursday at the theater.

Synopsis: tells the story of a newly pregnant couple who are forced to take an ailing estranged stepmother into their home.

We start this off meeting our lead of Belinda (Norwood). She's a professor who teaches about mythology with a women's studies twist. We see though that despite being a full-time teacher, her classes are being given away to new hires. It feels like they are due to her being pregnant. The secretary to the head of the department tries to convince Belinda that isn't the case, but when the dean won't see her, it makes you wonder.

She is married to Norman (Andrew Burnap). He is a public defender who is trying to get a position with a law firm. They're expecting their first child. It does seem that they did have another, but it was stillborn. It is something along these lines. Belinda is struggling with wanting to continue to fight for her career, while giving up being a mother. That is until Norman gets a call. It is from his stepmother, Solange (Kathryn Hunter). His father is dying of stomach cancer.

Norman is secretive about his family and we learn that his parents are religious. They're in the vein of southern Baptist and it has turned off Norman to following faith. It doesn't help either that Belinda teaches more pagan religions, including how Christianity has taken different aspects to form their beliefs. She's ready to go see his father. He refuses though. That is until he passes away.

They go to the service that is led by Pastor Lewis (Neal Huff). It is during the wake that Belinda finally meets her mother-in-law. The reading of the will also takes place. It is life changing for the couple as all the money is left to them. There is a catch though. Solange must live with them until she passes away. Norman refuses, but Belinda thinks they should. This is a decision that she will soon regret.

Helping the elderly woman move in is an eye-opener. She takes over the front room, which was originally set up as a nursery for their child. It makes sense though since Solange cannot use the stairs. Belinda is helping her mother-in-law unpack and discovers that she's a 'Daughter of the Confederacy'. Solange pushes her religion every chance she gets. She also makes other changes around the place. With each inch she's given, she takes a mile. She also drives any wedge that she can between the couple, making their lives hell.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that I chatted with a buddy of mine who also saw this same day that I did. He didn't like this, which seeing his gripes he had a point. We had similar issues here, but I was just more forgiving of them personally. What I will give credit here before delving deeper is that this is an uncomfortable movie to watch in the best way possible and that is by design.

Now that I've set that up, let's explore our characters. We have two different mothers that are butting heads. I want to look at our lead first, Belinda. I don't think that it is an accident that a black woman was cast here. It is written into the fabric of the story, or if it wasn't, there are excellent changes made to explore this idea. She was raised by her mother. This gets pointed out when Solange makes a comment. It is a racist idea that is a stereotype and I'm glad that it is clarified. Belinda's parents were both academics. Her father didn't abandon her, he passed away at a young age. Belinda is an expert on pagan religions and I love that she is pointing out different things thought to be Christian but stolen from faiths that are older. As an atheist, I love that this is explored here.

Sticking with her, but shifting slightly, I think there's a message here about how academics aren't looked at the same as they used to. Capitalism comes into play here. Belinda's parents were able to support themselves in their work. Belinda and Norman can't yet. They're struggling financially. Neither have made it either. Belinda decided to start a family before getting her tenure. It is insinuated that her classes are being taken away because she wanted children. She can't prove it though. This is an interesting idea to set up and allow the viewer to decide if she is correct or overreacting. I did think that Norwood was solid in her performance as this character.

Let's then shift over to her counterpart of Solange. Her and Norman's father have money. She is a matriarch in a faith that is in 'control'. I love that she is playing the victim here. She doesn't know true persecution, but when she's asked not to do something, she carries on. She is a racist, but I do like that at times, she does seem to be trying to grow. Norman warns Belinda that she is a manipulator. His wife doesn't agree and wants to give her the benefit of the doubt. This gets uncomfortable when she intentionally urines and defecates. This forces them to clean up after her. It is interesting that Belinda is pregnant, then brings the baby home. There is a correlation there that Solange wants to be taken care of but using it to control them. The money is also there for that. Hunter is great in her role as she is a villain.

The last thing then would be the idea of pagan beliefs vs. Christian faith. My problem here is that I don't think this is executed well. It comes off as bashing religion. I agree with what they're saying, but I just think the message this is conveying falls short in its conclusion. There are things we see where Solange can heal. That makes me think this is saying that her faith is true and strong. Making her a villain who is gaslighting the couple confuses me. How things end doesn't make sense to me and it is bummer.

Let's then finish with the acting. Hunter is the best performer here with Norwood being right behind her. Burnap is fine as this husband who doesn't trust his stepmother. What I get confused by are the concessions he makes to her. It doesn't fit with the hatred he spews in the beginning. Something I will say here is that I hated all three of these characters, but the performances are good to get that reaction. Huff is solid as this pastor who sees the best in everyone. It comes off creepy and I think that is by design. The rest of the cast was fine to round this out for what was needed.

All that is left then is filmmaking. The best part of this for me was the cinematography and the framing. There is an arthouse flair here with angles that are used. We also get this great zoom in shot where Belinda is talking to the pastor. It is focused on a mirror and then it slowly shifts to where we can no longer see them, except as a reflection. I loved that. There are also other good things with mirrors where a cross or other religion icons are seen. That was a good touch. This uses effects on a limited basis. Those were good. There is the fear of the child not surviving and post-partum. I like how those results in hallucinations. With my wife being pregnant and things I knew from our first child's birth, which was good. Other than that, I like what they do with the soundtrack and design. That added another element.

In conclusion, I thought that this was a movie that had things it wanted to say. I appreciated that. My problem is that I think it fell short with driving its point home and the end was disappointing. There are still good story elements like Christianity vs. Pagan beliefs. Something I didn't even bring up is that we have an interracial couple with a racist mother-in-law. The acting was good. Hunter led the way with Norwood right there. I thought that the technical aspects of the filmmaking were good. There's an arthouse vibe with cinematography, framing and visuals. This won't be for everyone. I thought that with tweaks, this would be great. It falls short though in the end.

My Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

This is a classic case of switch-a-roo. The trailer implies horror but it's more like a bad sitcom with no laugh track. The acting is ok, the pacing is too slow & the plot is ridiculous for a horror movie. A24 is 1 of my favorite movie companies but they release too many mediocre movies in between the gem/can't miss movies now that they have more revenue generated from great movies like Hereditary, Midsommer, Uncut Gems, the Witch, etc.

The antagonist here is more annoying than scary or fearful. The premise is a bit fat fetched because no matter how strapped for cash i am, I'm not inviting this person in my house around my unborn child. This was written by the Eggers but it should've been directed by the Lighthouse and the Witch sibling.

Please skip this unless you enjoy making fun of bad movies.

This happens a lot and I'm also fall victim to this a lit. They advertise Horror or whatever and the genre is something else and it wrecks the movie . You have an expectation of what you're going to see and you get something else. This however I went in with an open mind and figured it wasn't going to be a horror from the previews. The performances are excellent. The mother in law actress is amazing reminds me of Throw momma from the train. If they reboot it they have the mom!!

Anyway Brandy is excellent as well it's currently at a 5.3 which is extremely unfair and obviously a horror biased review. Go in knowing your going to watch a DARK comedy with some religious tones that ADD to the humor and you'll enjoy it. We laughed out loud so did others . We will warn you a few gross scenes but again they add to the dark humor. It's a solid 7 to 8.

The Mother in law deserves an award for her performance. PHENOMENAL will go see what else she's in.

LIKES:

Atmosphere Cinematography

Handles Reality Harshly

A Decent Character Profiling For Two Characters

Acting

Some Dark Comedy Theatrics

Summary: I give it to A24 that they know how to make a movie look good with the camera work and editing. The Front Room is not shy of making a horrifying movie by emphasizing the right shots to illustrate the horrors of such a situation. Fantastic filters alongside the use of shadows and close-ups stir the emotions and with it craft the emotional medley that might come with taking care of such a taxing family member. Even during the more...symbolic moments, the Eggers' direction manages to make the most of a simple shot with just the right ominous tones. Alongside those darker moments comes a portrayal of a harsh reality, one part due to fantastic acting, and another part due to the direction of the story and vision. I felt a lot for Brandy's character, watching her go through this hell to handle the pressures faced on her, and getting a lot of glimpses of what someone of Solange's character can be like when given an opportunity. That harsh reality is the true horror of this movie, and I felt every ounce of struggle in their presentation and the perseverance it takes to get through it. In classic A24 fashion, there are moments of darker humor to help alleviate the tension, and though much of it got underwhelming and quite annoying, fans of such comedic presentation should be thrilled with the theatrics at hand. From the occasional jab in dinner time banter, the vengeful acts that humans do, to the more aggressive jokes all await the audience who dare check this film out.

Yet for me, the strongest notion is the acting that carries this film. Will start with Burnap, a character stuck in the middle requiring a lot of flexibility in how his character was directed. He's got great tension delivery, helps add this traumatic effect into the film as it proceeds, and primarily in the first act holds the potential to show just how deep he can go in the well of a complex character. I felt he did well with the material in the latter half, but his stronger performance was near the start (more on that in a minute). Hunter is the next one I enjoyed. Though not her character, she manages to take the "classic charm" of Solange and unleash it in full force as she unleashes the full-on traditions into her new home. Her coughing fits alone are believable, but the way she adapts the accent, puts such ferocity in her tongue as she enacts her antics, and even the physical acting all hold such power as the movie progresses. As for Brandy's return, the actress brings back her chops to marinate in a darker role that shows the fire is still stoked in this actress. Between strong delivery of lines, a fantastic portrayal of mannerisms in an ever-changing body of life, and an incredible inner thought portrayals. Her chemistry with everyone makes the movie's focus on the characters stronger and I felt that she accomplished much to bring the most out of the ordeal. Thus, the character profiling for Solange and Belinda (Hunter and Norwood respectively), is quite endearing and by far the pillar holding much of the movie up.

DISLIKES:

Practically Goes Nowhere

Not Scary/Thrilling

Repetitive Shots

Disgusting Imagery That Is Center Focus

Sometimes Gets Too Political

Warning: Hyper zealous religion May Offend

Pace Felt Slow

One Character Is Confusing

SUMMARY Though there is such strong theatrics and acting, this particular A24 film had other elements that did not resonate with me. My list of dislikes I'll start with is an inconsistent character, Norman (Burnap) who at first seems like is going to be an engaging character, but then falls backward into an element that becomes more a symbolic tool than anything else for me. He was inconsistent and sort of forgettable compared to the other two and that was a shame given how well his first act was. I guess this matches the point of symbolism as the movie becomes swallowed up by the power of Solange to represent the allegory of choice, but I didn't like him getting the shaft.

Once past this though, the movie's other limitations for me start with the focused presentation style of the content. For one thing, the movie isn't scary nor holds the same level of shock value that the more supernatural films like Hereditary and Midsomer (to a degree) hold. It lacks that engaging bite I like in a Thriller, sticking to the realistic approach and dulling the promise the trailers made from their editing. Instead, the movie chose to use more disgusting imagery for their focus, giving us plenty of shots of bodily excretions that are very sad and very inappropriate for the amount of time they spent on it. Though I can handle the horror of it when utilized well, the movie becomes fixated on these tactics and feels like Groundhog Day without the story and fun. I get bored with such repetitive motions, especially when the plot is not progressing to any meaningful degree in the time, especially when it becomes a montage of repetitive shots that are again painting how time crawls in these circumstances. Such limited progress dragged the pace out, and I sometimes struggled to care about the movie. In addition, despite some classy handling of the political topics in this movie, there are moments where it seems some personal angst leaks out into the dialogue. These moments get a tad too in your face, or in some cases are going to get very upset with the way the doctrines are shared with us. Some moments are utilized well and important to the character development and sometimes fall into unnecessary tangents that again do little to promote the story. As such, the movie took a major hit for lacking a moving direction, nor engaging enough content to utilize such repetition to the full extent.

The VERDICT Stylish, seductive, and realistic (to an extent), The Front Room is a prime example of A24's powers to make odd tales others don't quite dare to tell. A wonderful artistic eye and strong performances are by far the strongest elements to paint this picture of such a strange set of circumstances. It's raw, accurate, and captures the trials and tribulations of taking care of an elderly family member. Outside of that, the movie is going to be geared toward those who want to embrace that mental challenge and symbolic adventure of spirit, sanity, and interfamilial drama. With less scare factor and more "shock" factor that gets caught up in the artistic presentation, The Front Room feels rather mundane, repetitive, and bloated with only a finite niche to really thrive on the things presented. It didn't move for me and the focus of watching excrement continue to emit out did little to entertain me, and the other scenes don't do much to move or make me happy. The verdict is... this is not one of the stronger movies and I recommend watching this one at home if you dare face the challenge of sitting through this drawn-out film. My scores are:

Horror/Thriller: 6.0 (better psychological thriller) Movie Overall: 4.0-5.0.