Fear comes in variety. It is diverse, it is niche, it sometimes doesn’t make sense, but it always hits its mark, and it is always felt.
Someone can be scared of clowns, and someone else can be scared of clouds; no matter how irrational, when the genuine terror seeps in and the heart starts beating, fear is real. This is why I so adore the new psychological thriller The Front Room from the Eggers brothers: it does a lot more with a lot less. It’s sparse, and light on the VFX, crazy apparitions, and gore that we have come to expect from today’s typical horror films, but it nonetheless possesses that magic, that secret sauce of a good scary flick that makes The Front Room one of the best films I have seen this year.
Featuring Sam Eggers and Max Eggers in their directorial debut, The Front Room is masterful at the slow-burn horror that continues to build throughout the film. Starting off innocently enough, the film details the stressful life of a couple expecting their first child. Things soon take a turn for the worse as they are subject to every married couple’s biggest plight: the insolent mother-in-law. Norman’s aging step-mother comes to live with them, much to the dismay of Belinda, and what ensues is a cat-and-mouse game of Belinda versus Solange as each tries to obtain the upper hand and fights for control of the house through rude dinner confrontations, strange rituals, an unfortunate feces.
On paper, the events of the film seem vanilla, but where it really shines are the subtle mechanisms used to evoke dread; the tinkling music, the lingering shots, and the provocative imagery. Solange’s character is not scary per se, but her actions and the general open-endedness of whether she truly has a connection to the Holy Spirit is what kept me on the edge of my seat.
I am not much for happy endings, but wow, what an ending. The tension of the film builds to a palpable peak towards its final moments, and with a fantastic release of a conclusion, my entire theater was on its feet, whooping and applauding. I won’t spoil it, but instead of a dark or twisted ending, or a cliffhanger, I really enjoyed the pure-bliss approach that this film took. Not to mention, not one person was bothered by the load claps of their surrounding viewers, as the film began with a tongue-in-cheek message announcing that all viewers no longer were required to remain silent, and that they were allowed to be as loud as they wanted.
This led to some enjoyable reactions from others in the theater as they laughed out loud at a particularly funny scene or groaned at the sight of (human feces). It was a clever tactic, and allowed us to freely enjoy the film for what it was that much more. The comedic moments of the movie also kept the pacing up, and all the jokes landed well and were a nice touch as a break from gross or scary moments. Every note of the film was evenly and carefully distributed, and nothing overstayed its welcome.
Brandy did a phenomenal job playing Belinda, and her multi-dimensional performance was clearly a highlight. She really embodied the struggles of a mother at her wit’s end, and the pure frustration her character feels throughout the film is masterfully demonstrated by her in a way that feels organic and natural. She has acted in several works previously, and I am excited to see her fully commit to film, as she is a delight to watch on the big screen.
The Front Room invigorates, thrills, terrorizes, and disgusts, all while keeping a clear, concise story with a jubilant and palpable conclusion that remains one of my top film moments from this year. A victory for the Eggers brothers in their debut, I urge film-lovers everywhere to watch this movie as soon as possible.
The Front Room is out now in theaters everywhere.
