After two years of escapist blockbusters, I finally found a drama film that grabbed me, and boy was Room an emotional gut-punch. While I was intrigued by the premise and the talent attached to the movie going in, I was also a tad anxious. Losing years of my life confined to a small space is something of a nightmare scenario for me. But Room magnificently manages to transform grim subject matter into a sweet tale about a mother and son, while still tackling heavy themes of holding onto one's sanity and piecing a broken life back together

Brie Larson gave an amazing performance in Short Term 12, but her work here is simply one of the finest pieces of acting I've ever seen in a film, and I look forward to whatever she does next. Jacob Tremblay also gives an exceptional performance for a child star, and both he and director Lenny Abrahamson deserve great recognition for constructing extended scenes with a small child who yells, argues and misbehaves without coming across as annoying