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The Killing Room Jonathan Liebesman 2009
I presumed this film was another cheap Saw imitation and I dismissed it immediately. I noticed Nick Cannon's name on the cast list and that put me off even more. Chloë Sevigny, Peter Stormare and especially Shea Whigham on the other hand did interest me. So I ventured on and Ill admit there were moments The Killing Room had my full attention and seemed like it was building to a triumphant climax. But for the most part fell short when it counted.
Military psychologist Ms. Reilly (Sevigny) is the new member of a team of scientists conducting secret experiments headed by Mr Phillips (Stormare). Four volunteers (Cannon, Clea DuVall, Timothy Hutton and Whigham) believing there involved in a typical public research experiment enter a white room unaware what is going on behind the scenes. It doesn't take very long for them to realize they are in over there heads, a series of 'questions' are asked of them and depending on there answers and actions decides who lives and dies. The Killing Room is cold and calculated in a way that the Saw series isn't because you know who is behind the scenes from the beginning and they aren't your typical killer cliches. Also because there is some genuinely good acting and chemistry between the cast. The Killing Room doesn't rely on blood and gore to scare you. Where the movie ultimately fails is two specific areas, the first is the script that just isn't clear enough in some scenes, leaves you wondering what was just said. The second and most important is plot, the whole film moves towards a revelation that just isn't as satisfying as it should or could have been. They could have done so much more with the story, you can't help but feel disappointed.
Considering the director Jonathan Liebesman's back list The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning and Darkness Falls its surprising this film had anything going for it at all. Maybe its the cast that makes a difference. Peter Stormare plays the bad-guy with his heavy ethnic accent and even though its what we almost always see of him, it works for him in this role. Chloë Sevigny is a good actress and makes good with her part although I can't think of anything shes been in since the controversial indie flix The Brown Bunny. Between Shea Whigham and Timothy Hutton I felt chemistry and most of the drama. Luckily Nick Cannon barely speaks or even acts through out the entirely of the movie which is obviously a good thing.
Definitely low budget since the whole movie is filmed in a single room. There is lots of silence and quiet at which time you are left staring at walls and floors, the silence and empty room do create a rigid and tense atmosphere. Some of the quick action scenes don't work that well.
For a movie I wasn't expecting very much of in the first place, I enjoyed most of it. If more time and effort had gone into the script that would have improved things a great deal. If the same time and effort had been given to the plot itself it could have been a great psychological thriller, there was potential to push the subject matter a lot further.
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Last edited by zedlen; 08-19-09 at 09:56 AM.
