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The Front Room centres around Belinda (Brandy Norwood), a college lecturer, but who’s about to take maternity leave and have a baby – despite her and hubby having previously lost a child – and thanks to the staffing system, she won’t be able to return to that job, so they’re in a fiduciary situation where her overbearing stepmother, Solange (Kathryn Hunter – Megalopolis), comes to live with them, in return for them getting all her money when she dies.
For Belinda’s hubby, Norman (Andrew Burnap), his Dad has stomach cancer and this was his last wish, even though Solange is about as welcome as the Steptoe and Son film, where the former came on the latter’s honeymoon.
The front room… hence how the title comes about, was going to be their nursery, but now it’s reserved for their unwelcome guest. As such, the stress on our lead causes issues such as how the baby won’t latch on to her breast, and cries incessantly, somehow only calming down when a particular necklace is held in front of him.
Meanwhile, along the way, we see Solange puking up into a hankie, making us wonder what else she might do later… and, well, if you’ve seen what happens to Spud in the bed, in Trainspotting… EWWWW!!
This film is also another example of mixed race couple in the movies. They only make up 10% of real couples, but whenever you see adverts, it’s more like 95%! It’s so obvious.
As for the film itself, we’re really in TV movie territory. Aside from some gross moments and strong language, this could’ve been a Channel 5 afternoon film. Out of all the films that could’ve ended up on the big screen, how did this one make it?
Then again, writer/director brothers Max Eggers and Sam Eggers are also the brother of Robert Eggers, who made the somehow-praised but incredibly tedious The Northman, and The Witch. I can see, in January, we’ll have to put up with Nosferatu.
On the plus side, this is only 95 minutes long, so at least it doesn’t outstay its welcome too much, and Ms Hunter keeps it going. However, I had mistaken her for Kathryn Hahn, and kept wondering how they’d managed to make the latter look more like Dobby The House Elf! Oh well, took my mind of this dross for a bit.
And a bit later, in The Front Room, a couple sat just behind me to my left, her sometimes waffling something to him, to which he’d always reply, “Yeah, right”, with a voice that projected. A couple of attempts to shush the ignorant mothers fell on deaf ears.
To think that before they came, I thought the group in their 20s going to their back would be the problem, since they were very chatty from the moment they came in until the film started… then quiet as a mouse. And once they film was over, they started up again. Kudos to them for their behaviour.
NOTE: There is no mid- or post-credit scene.
The Front Room is in cinemas now, and is available to pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD, ahead of its release date TBA.
There’s also the Peter Brown paperback book, also available on Kindle.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 95 minutes
Release date: October 25th 2024
Studio: A24
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (ARRIRAW(3.4K, 4.5K, Anamorphic Lomoscope)
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 4/10
Directors: Max Eggers, Sam Eggers
Producers: Babak Anvari, David Hinojosa, Julia Oh, Lucan Toh
Screenplay: Max Eggers, Sam Eggers
Story: Susan Hill
Music: Marcelo Zarvos
Cast:
Belinda: Brandy Norwood
Norman: Andrew Burnap
Solange: Kathryn Hunter
Pastor Lewis: Neal Huff
Old Man: David Manis
Old Woman: Mary Catherine Wright
2nd Old Woman: Ellen J Maddow
Mary: Mary Testa
Dr. Rayne: Kerry Flanagan
Student: Morgen McKynzie
Administrator: Wendy Heagy (voice)
One Year Old Laurie: Rueby Wray
Baby Laurie: Chasity Monroe Orr, Charlize Essence Orr
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.