Tangent Room

As someone who LOVES characters trapped in a room films, this one was unfortunately a complete disappointment.

While it's obviously a lower budget film, that does not preclude it from having the possibility of being brilliant!

It's not money that makes actors and a story brilliant, it's competent direction and a good script.

Something it was obvious from the start this film lacked.

Odd character interactions, awkward dialogue make this a very... annoying film to watch.

I eventually got the feeling that the people behind the camera did not take the story very seriously. Allowing characters to react (or rather, NOT react) appropriately, ruins the tone of the film and gives it an oddly humorous undertone.

NOT A SPOILER

The man in a very early scene has just heard some chocking news, and all he does is sit with his head balanced atop his clasped hands like an intrigued school boy.

The women on the other hand look appropriately scared/in denial/confused.

In fact, the only actor in the whole film who sold the film's story consistently when others faltered was Vee Vimolmal. She really carried everyone else!

In conclusion, without spoiling anything, whoever made this film tried to recreate Coherence (2013) with more science babble, without understanding that it's the character interactions that are truly important.

So I urge you all to watch Coherence instead.

It took me at least 3 viewings to keep track of all the multiple dimensions and characters. It is simply a far superior film and mystery. (As are the first 2 Cube films, if you're into people trapped together genre!)

The basis scenario is set out simply, 4 genius level scientists in different disciplines are set a problem by a deceased colleague to solve within a strict time limit. At first I thought it was a re-telling of the short story "Noise Level" by Raymond F Jones, and certainly it leaves the strong impression that it was originally intended to be so, beginning with the enforced isolation of the scientists and the scepticism shown by them to the situation and to the problem. However, it quickly deviates from that story and instead enters into a situation where it becomes clear that the scientists do not, and cannot possibly have, any control or understanding unless and until they solve the problem. Though the problem is one that cannot be shown cinematically without either great complexity or great simplicity (thankfully the directer went for the latter) it is one that is interesting. Is it worth watching? Yes, but be aware that the movie primarily consists of "talking heads" with a few simple special effects that you won't even notice at first, until they are made obvious to the viewer. More a thought experiment, but with a good cast able to hold your attention

Tantalizing premise that could make played out in many ways, but the ending doesn't either fit science, or the entire bulk of the plotline.

I would attempt to call this the best of cerebral fiction, except it's not the best of anything.

This starts out as an interesting premise: four people have four hours to solve a problem or die (Cease to exist? Never existed? Always exist? WHO KNOWS?). The acting starts out reasonably well-done, but soon digresses into a mess of bad directing and poorly-executed unimpressive camera effects.

It's not a matter of "we don't get it". We get it fine-- and it spews. While the idea (which I won't state here-- spoilers) has an interesting foundation, the rest of the house is poorly constructed. The science is the worst of theoretical guessing, the math is nonsensical scribbles (at least, as far as the audience can tell), and the ending totally lacking in substance or sense (other than pure fantasy, which has no place in this supposedly pure-science production).

This is a sneezed boogar of a film that hit a wall and stuck, visibly for everyone to see. The concept had potential, but the execution was severely flawed. Suggestion: re-write, re-make, from start to finish, and next time make sense rather than throwing logic and sensibility out the submarine window.

Brilliant idea let down by horrible writing, acting and direction.

It's a film you want to turn off hey early but don't because you want to see what happens, not because the film is riveting but the concept is intriguing.

Sadly though, it's trash.