Falls somewhat short of what 'mainstream' audiences would regard as an acceptably made film, it has that 'few years out of film school' look & doing their best with what they have feel; in that regard, any film maker is to be congratulated.
However, in the real world, it's bad, bad casting, bad direction, bad extras, bad lighting, bad set dressing & unfortunately, it's not bad enough to be bad good, so it just becomes rather a drag to watch, so I skipped to the end.
Hopefully all concerned will learn from this; I just wish people would stop practising film making on audiences & get it right the first time!
A Room to Die For
2017
Action / Horror / Thriller
A Room to Die For
2017
Action / Horror / Thriller
Plot summary
When a broke young couple rent a room in an elderly couples London house it becomes apparent no one is what they really seem.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
April 15, 2021 at 11:47 AM
Director
Top cast
Movie Reviews
Poor Production
A wonderfully and progressivley disturbing indie horror film.
One of the joys of Devanand Shanmugam's film is that it begins so steadily, even sedately. You might even be put off by this, but stick with it. Events turn progressively darker, even if they never reach the wince-inducing depths of Mark's aspirations as a stand-up comedian (don't worry, he's supposed to be bloody awful). Mark (Michael Lieber) is a bit of an idiot, and, as is often the way of things recently, the girlfriend, in this case Jill (Loren Peta), provides the practicalities and the backbone of the relationship.
So strong is she that when the couple's new landlords, Henry (Christopher Craig) and Josephine Baker (Antonia Davies), prove to clearly be up to no good, you're surprised she doesn't cotton on sooner. Whatever, this tightly written chiller becomes progressively more weird and genuinely disturbing - nasty, even.
Another joy is the unpredictable quality of the ongoing story. You truly don't know where it is heading, but get quite a jolt when it gets there. My score is 8 out of 10.
A rather fun descent into madness! General basic discussion of plot, no major details or ending revealed.
Not a cinematic masterpiece to be sure, but I found it to be a fun watch. I like offbeat and different rather than a franchise clone. If you're expecting a traditional horror movie, then pass this up. The ratings reflect the general consensus, but some of us like unique. This isn't a ghost, zombie or vampire story, but rather, insanity inflicted on a down on their luck "average" couple struggling with finances who are willing to make compromises to survive. They decide to rent a highly affordable, furnished room in a deceptively nice old couple's home. The creep factor lies in knowing something similar could, and has, happened in the real world. There's humor in the madness as well, which made it more fun for me. The girlfriend's brother, a cliche stuffed-shirt, snobby elitist with annoying traits, is thoroughly unlikable but his cluelessness is amusing. I rooted for Marcus, the boyfriend half of the renting couple, who has big dreams of being a stand-up comedian but so far, only gigs for no pay. He made no bones about not wanting to live there, but his feelings were dismissed by his domineering, employed girlfriend because he didn't contribute financially to the relationship. Maybe he should've used the elderly landlords as his inspiration and a comedic outlet for his frustration and anger to possibly get a paid gig! I was oddly happy to see his know-it-all, controlling girlfriend in that "aha!" moment when she realized Marcus was telling the truth about the old couple, which is almost immediately obvious to the viewer. The director and actors, in my opinion, made the characters come to life with humor and creativity. I didn't detect a "this low-budget is all I can get" attitude here. They looked like they had fun and put heart into their roles. Much was done with only a few characters and a simple, yet effective, setting. This is not a film that will be remembered for greatness, and many criticize its shortcomings but again, I watch to be entertained and while it won't entertain everyone, it'll entertain some as it did for me. I like to give interesting-sounding plots and low-rated films a chance, and I'm happy I gambled on this one.