Child acting in film is a different beast compared to its adult counterpart. Both instances already require direction and, in some cases, a lot of patience. The impressionable minds of child actors sometimes become an extra layer that interferes with the creative process. So to have a eight year old star in the dramatic thriller RoomI knew I was in for a ride. With a particularly heavy and emotional subject matter, would Roomsucceed or would the leading child become a distraction?
Room tells the story of a Joy, a woman who was kidnapped as a teenager and has been held captive in a room. The movie opens up on the eve of her son’s fifth birthday. The premise of the movie explores the idea of raising a child from birth in the confides of a 10×10 room. Room excels at setting up this plot “what if?” and executes it well with attention to the smallest of details. Continue reading
Horror is alive, and grotesque, in David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows. The movie is a nostalgic call back to 70s and 80s horror movies where no teenage couple is safe from the clutches of death. The haunting score and eerie atmosphere seamlessly move the horror and characters to their doom (a very John Carpenter vibe). But It Follows ups the ante by creating a monster that feels so much more personal and specific to its victim.
