The Inner Room

Was drawn to this film because it had a couple of actors from the film "Ink" (which is easily one of the best TRUE indies of recent years). I'm not a huge horror guy, so I wasn't expecting much going in. I was pleasantly surprised as the film wasn't really "horror" so much as a psycho-thriller or even a psycho-drama. If you are looking for blood and guts you won't get much of that here, although there is some. Not sure what this film was made for, but it couldn't have cost much - as there are no "name" actors and the vast majority of it takes place in one location (a cabin in the woods). It's definitely a slow burn - but for me I was really into it the entire time and thought it had a nice build up to the end. The film is really creepy and eerie. The style of the filmmaking reminded me a bit of "Dark Water." The performances were great, the main three actors, Jessica Duffy and Marty Lindsey (both from "Ink"), as well as David Dalton all did a fantastic job. I rated it 8 out of 10 because it does seem to drag a bit at times and some of the scenes weren't lit very well. According to IMDb, it is the director's first feature film, so I'm sure he learned some lessons and will continue to grow. He certainly has a nice style for storytelling and I'll be interested to see his next film.

I actually think the opposite...opening credits were OK. The rest ROCKED. It's definitely a slow burn not for the ADHD; but for a person who loves a good mystery and likes figuring out puzzles.

The main character is in a state of confusion and seems to have visions and has a weathered past. We go with her as she tries to uncover clues to her past and present.

The supporting actors do an amazing job of keeping things grounded without stealing from her performance.

I also liked how the movie was paced just right. We are so used to having cats jump in front of the screen to keep us awake. In this film, the viewers need to pay attention to small details in order to keep up. It requires thinking which is a lot more than some movies currently playing.

Nice work. I was happily entertained.

Like one of the earlier reviewers I was initially drawn to this film after seeing the incredible film "Ink." The lead character, Julia, was portrayed perfectly by Jessica Duffy. Marty Lindsey mixed well his chemistry with Duffy as a husband and wife in dire need of help with their crumbling marriage and a past that is haunting them both. When the couple takes a weekend trip to a remote cabin in the Colorado Rockies, things begin to get darker and the mystery unfolds, as others have said, in a slow burn. The film is beautifully shot and well edited, with only a few minor flaws. But this is one of the reasons I love Indie films so much. I'm consistently amazed at the quality of work that is made by these guerrilla film makers. Duffy has a mastery of her emotions when she acts. True terror, paranoia, grief, those are all very difficult to perform well, and in the Inner Room...she nails it!! This is a film of perception, doubt, fear, distrust, instability , all of which devolves into Julia questioning herself, her husband, her sanity. I was thrilled that the story was a "who dun it? What dun it? Is what is happening even happening?" kind of psychological thriller!! It kept me squirming in my seat and wondering where this journey was taking me! If you're looking for $500,000,000 Hollywood cookie-cutter crap with the same rehashed stories, then this ain't it! This is fresh and new and from what I've seen of the quality of work coming out the Colorado area Indie scene then great things lie ahead!! Well done Inner Room!!!

The best thing about this movie is the opening credits. Sadly, when the opening is really good it is usually a sign that what follows won't be. This is the case with "The Inner Room".

The camera was so shaky that it made you nauseous. The lighting was so dark that you couldn't tell what was going on. It wasn't a case of mood, or feeling, it was just a case of poor lighting. At some points a good 3/4 of the screen was dark. Many of the shots were so poorly composed that you couldn't tell who, or what, the focus was supposed to be. The script was similarly composed in that there were so many attempts at a subplot that it felt like five separate short films were mashed together. There was no real conclusion to many of the subplots and by the time any conclusion was reached it has become so boring and convoluted that it was really hard to care. The audience actually laughed out loud at a couple of points toward the end because the acting, dialogue and action were so cheesy. Every scene seemed to go on for way too long.

I'm shocked to see that this film has such a low rating from viewers - it makes me wonder if I watched the same film they did because this is a fantastic film. While certainly made on a small budget, the writing is very good. There were multiple sub-plots constantly being introduced, but the film handles these sub-plots extremely well, making sure the sub-plots don't become confusing but instead add to the tension and intrigue. The effects in the film, while not flashy, were creepy, and I was especially impressed by the co-stars in the film who really added depth to "The Inner Room." If you're one of those people who go into films like this hoping to see a bunch of blood and gore, you'll be disappointed, but if you like to go into these kinds of films wanting to be titillated by an intriguing plot and sub-plots, good writing and fine acting, you won't be disappointed.