MOVIE REVIEW: THE FRONT ROOM

 

Everything goes to hell for newly pregnant Belinda after her mother-in-law moves in and tries to get her claws on the child.

Director: Sam Eggers, Max Eggers

Cast: Brandy, Kathryn Hunter, Andrew Burnap, Neal Huff

Release Date: September 6, 2024

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for language, some violent/disturbing content, brief sexuality and nudity

Runtime: 1h 26m

Review:

Sam Eggers and Max Eggers' debut film is carried by a standout performance from Kathryn Hunter which is equal parts hilarious and revolting something the film leans into with impressive gusto.  Those looking for a straightforward horror film will likely be left disappointed with the film going for more of a gross out humor route instead.  There are a bevy of tantalizing thematic threads thrown about early on, but the story only scratches the surface on a few of them with others being outright ignored by the time it’s all said and done.  As such, there are a series of fanciful moments which are well staged and shot but never really pay off in any meaningful way.  It makes the story far more straightforward than it should be, especially since there's plenty of fertile territory to explore a handful of themes such as motherhood and generational trauma.  It leaves the story lacking in the long run and saps it of the emotional punch it should deliver as we follow the generational back and forth at the center of the story.  Saving the entire thing is an utterly committed turn from its star, Kathryn Hunter, as the mother in law from hell.  Hunter's performance is a fascinating blend of physicality and wry use of mischievous charm which turns sinister in the blink of an eye.  She's always the most interesting actor on screen even as things get increasingly outlandish and just plain gross.  The Eggers show very little restraint in terms of pushing the boundaries of good taste, leaving it up to the audience to either buy in or check out entirely.   Either way Hunter's work is just too focused and outsized to ignore, so much so that it practically sucks the air out of the room for the rest of the cast.  Brandy serves as the de facto lead delivering solid work throughout even as the situation gets more extreme.  To her credit, she's well aware of what kind of film she's in and matches her performance to really lean into the film's twisted sense of humor.  Andrew Burnap doesn't fare as well with his character coming off as little more than an uncaring, self absorbed dolt who doesn't offer much compassion for his wife's plight.  There's a building tension throughout but once the film gets to its final act it feels like it’s in search of a fitting resolution before settling on the simplest, most unimaginative conclusion.  The Front Room works far better than it should due to a singular turn that's engaging enough to carry the majority of the film but ultimately the story's shortcoming kneecaps the whole thing.

C+