The Front Room (2024) Movie Review and Summary

“The Front Room” is the directorial debut of brothers Max and Sam Eggers (the half-brothers from “The Lighthouse” for which Max co-wrote the screenplay). The film is a domestic nightmare brought to the screen: a psychic attack on the stereotypical, horrific mother-in-law, with absurdity and surrealism twisting the knife in the wound. Set primarily within the confines of the home, this claustrophobic aspect clashes with the overstimulation of the needy, fussy behavior of the mother-in-law monster. The script proposes a battle of wits and control via a brewing storm between the two protagonists that never quite comes to pass.

Belinda (Brandy Norwood), an untenured professor at a local college treated like an adjunct, is struggling to find fulfillment and recognition in her position. Her oversized belly and the consequences of an upcoming maternity leave don’t help her achieve the social advancement she desperately desires, and she quits. Her public defender husband Norman (Andrew Burnap) is a loving support for her, but as the stakes are higher, he doesn’t have the teeth to rally around his wife with anything more than a few unconvincing words of affirmation. With Belinda recently unemployed and a public defender’s salary that should support a pregnant household, the couple struggles to find balance amidst financial stress.

When Norman’s father dies, with great concern and unease, they attend the funeral and are reunited with his religious and equally estranged mother-in-law Solange (Kathryn Hunter). With the couple caught between the crushing weight of her presence and that of the pastor, Solange offers to pay off their mortgage and leave them as the sole beneficiaries of her will, but only if they welcome her into their home to live out the rest of her life. Norman balks, but with a baby on the way and their bank accounts in the tank, Belinda resists, saying the pros must outweigh the cons, declaring that overly familiar “she can’t be that bad.” And so, she is installed in the living room of the couple’s home, hence the film’s name.

“The Front Room” takes its time setting up narratively and tonally, leaving the viewer waiting to figure out exactly what they’re watching. While genre isn’t the determinant of the film’s effectiveness, the time spent weighing their loyalties to the absurd is confusing. However, once the Eggers brothers make their choice, they revel in it. Frankly, the main narrative path of “The Front Room” is silliness. The tension that the film’s marketing would lead you to expect isn’t there much. This is partly because the characters are monotonous and leave nothing to be desired. Solange is the worst possible old person. She’s disrespectful, needy, racist, conniving, and ungrateful. She’ll do anything to drive a wedge between Belinda and Norman, including intentional incontinence (which plays a major role in the film’s crude humor).

There’s an obvious connection between the baby that arrives and the paradoxical baby they’ve adopted. The aforementioned incontinence (from feces to spit-up and everything in between) and the childish antics of Solange’s behavior are what drive the film’s humor and stakes. It’s effective about half the time and ponderous the rest. That said, without Hunter’s devotion, “The Front Room” would be a hollow tale. Hunter brings his first physical performance (“The Tragedy of Macbeth” being arguably his best showcase) to what otherwise feels like faded ink on the page, led by mediocre supporting performances. Norwood, who shares the screen equally, is incredibly flat, delivering lines with obligatory conviction and little nuance. Belinda’s writing evolves from facile to stalwart adversary in the blink of an eye. Burnap’s childish shyness is believable but ultimately monotonous, as her character lacks any arc or backbone.

Belinda’s previous miscarriage is a slight and underused quality to the story, but it’s worth noting for how it contributes to the film’s ideas about motherhood and how power helps make a house a home. Still, all things considered, the shallowness of the script and the brittle performances feel like a substantial backdrop to Solange’s bodily antics and bold commentary. “The Front Room” is a bold and provocative debut, and you have to have respect for the Eggers brothers who commit to the piece (even if it tires). It’s passable for easy viewing and a few uncomfortable laughs, but it’s only bearable because of Hunter’s loyal antagonism, while disappointing pretty much everywhere else.