The Front Room – A Derivative Attempt at Family Fame

Twins Max and Sam Eggers, the younger brothers of writer and director Robert Eggers, make their directorial debut with The Front Room. In a more grounded and modern horror approach compared to older brother Robert’s work, will the film channel some of A24’s early horror hits or serve as a derivative cash in? Loosely based on the short story by Susan Hill, the film follows Belinda (Norwood) and Norman (Burnap) as they take in his estranged stepmother, Solange (Hunter), to live with them, all while in the midst of Belinda’s late stage pregnancy.

The short 94-minute runtime will surely entice curious viewers into thinking The Front Room will result in a fast-paced, stress-inducing horror film that jumpstarts the careers of promising directors. However, expectations should be tempered as the Eggers’ use that short runtime to stretch its confined source material. That being said, it should not be a predetermined hindrance in judging a film as Robert has been much more successful with far less to work with during A24’s peak method of micro-budget horror films. However, unlike their brother, the younger Eggers’ attempt at horror lacks the style, depth, and pacing like his similar confined films such as The Witch and The Lighthouse.

The film wastes no time in jumping straight into the aforementioned predicament of letting an unhinged in-law stay with the couple and getting in the way of raising their child. Much like a comedic gimmick that gets drawn out for all it is worth, the “punchline” of this story is squeezed to the last drop as each scene unravels itself in an extremely predictable fashion. The pacing is a repeating issue as the script constantly cycles through the following stages numerous times: Solange causes a scene, Belinda is justifiably upset, and the absentee husband is indecisive in picking a side so everything goes back to normal. It is a cycle that can make viewers numb to the film, unable to attach to the underdeveloped social issues at play, and unaware of whether the story has finally reached its conclusion. This pacing issue is heightened as unintended poor lighting and inconsistent camera work makes each scene as indistinguishable and unmemorable as the next. While the film can be a victim of A24’s infamous marketing misdirection at times, the promotional material does a sufficient job at representing the film’s mystery in guarding the uncertainty of Solange’s role, on whether she truly has mystical influence or is simply just an intimidating presence.

The film’s positive qualities rely mostly on the dynamic bickering between Norwood’s Belinda and Hunter’s Solange as both actresses give everything they can with the limiting script that’s presented to them. It is unfortunate that Norwood’s film appearances are few and far between, as she confidently steps onto the screen as if never having skipped a beat. Through Belinda, she keeps the film grounded through her authentic and level-headed reactions to the ridiculous situations that are thrown her way. While pondering intrigue in viewers through her supporting roles, Hunter is finally given a chance to shine in all of Solange’s unhinged, religious spiel that brings some level of unpredictability to a predictable story. 

In the end, The Front Room is a failed attempt by the younger Eggers brothers at cashing in on their older brother’s successful formula that lacks not only the style and depth, but also the pacing needed to make it work. Thankfully, Norwood’s grounded character and Hunter’s unhinged behavior will do a decent job at keeping audiences interested in their heated dynamic despite the script’s tiring repetition.

still courtesy of Elevation Pictures

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Costa Christoulas

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