The Front Room Movie Room

“The Front Room” is a tale based on horror — the horror of getting old. When a young couple is backed into a corner, they agree to let the husband’s estranged step-mother come to live with them. The elderly step-mother brings an opinionated view into the house. She has a basic lack of tact, and a lack of bladder and bowel control. Things are turning into a ‘M-E-Double-S’…

Belinda (played by Brandy) works at a University.  The Administration has been removing classes from the very pregnant professor of Anthropology. She makes a rash decision and quits, so that she and her husband Norman (played by Andrew Burnap) will get by on his salary. But he works as public defender, and can’t seem to get a better job. Belinda and Norman are looking forward with having a new baby girl. The couple had a child years ago, but he died at birth.

Norman and Belinda are barely getting by now, and the new baby will bring more stress very soon. Speaking of stress — Norman gets a phone call. The call is from Pastor Lewis (played by Neal Huff) who informs him that his father has passed away. Norman had drifted away from his father and his religious furor in the past years. Norman never got close to his step-mother Solange (played by Kathryn Hunter). He and Belinda attend the funeral, and Solange has a request.

The elderly woman has lots of family wealth, and she convinced Norman’s father to put a stipulation in his will. Norman and Belinda must take in Solange into their home and care for her in her remaining years. They will receive enough money to pay for her care and upkeep, and the deal seems to be without any down side. Norman is not enthused about the idea, but Belinda comes to the defense of Solange. After all, she is a nice little old lady. How much trouble could she be? Hmmm…

Solange has a thick Southern drawl, and she pronounces ‘Belinda’ as ‘Blen-dah’. She calls Norman ‘Norma Jean’ for some reason. Solange uses two heavy canes to get around, due to arthritis. There is no way for her to take the bedroom upstairs. She wants the room in the front of the house. That’s the room that Belinda had just set aside and decorated for the new baby. Nope — that’s my room now, says Solange.

Dinner conversations become very awkward when Belinda learns more facts about Solange’s past. Belinda, who is Black, learns that Solange is a proud member of the Daughters of the Confederacy. Solange says that a past relative was a ‘Grand Dragon’ in the Klan. That does not sit well with ‘Blen-dah’. She feels that Solange is still enamored with racist ideas. Solange says that is not ture. The Confederacy was, as she explains, all about preserving — uh — State’s Rights.

Solange has very committed evangelical beliefs. She believes that she can perform ‘signs and wonders’. Belinda is totally not convinced that the old woman is anything but crazy. Norman is caught up with all sorts of issues with work that he can rarely make it back home for dinner. Belinda also finds that Solange has some serious health concerns. It is mostly in the area of bladder and bowel control, and she is prone to making a ‘M-E-Double-S’.

Belinda and Norman have already bent to the influence of Solange is many ways. They agree to name the new baby Laurie, and not ‘Fern’. As Solange said — “Whadda growing in there, a plant?” She has taken over the front room in the house, and the baby will be upstairs when she gets there. Anytime that Solange makes a ‘M-E-Double-S’, she refuses to get in the shower. She will only take a bath, and the bathtub is in the second-story bathroom.

Solange has moved in and she has shown that she will become the “Queen B” — that is — as in a “B” for the other name for a female dog. Belinda knows that Solange is tricky and deceitful. But she does not know how to combat this. All this stress on Belinda makes her require an emergency C-section delivery of the baby. After a few days in the hospital, Belinda get home and finds it is all changed around. Solange has had all the furniture replaced with what she kept in storage for many years.

Belinda is shocked that Solange is holding ‘prayer meetings’ in the family room. It now looks like a museum display rather than her house. Solange and Belinda have an argument, and Solange falls down and hits her head on a coffee table. It’s not clear that Belinda made Solange fall and bust her lip and lose a tooth. But that is not what she tells the nurses in the emergency room.  It is just one more straw that is weighing on the back of Belinda.

The baby Laurie is now a huge bone of contention between Solange and Belinda. Norman has been very preoccupied with work that he is never involved. Solange thinks that the new baby will really need a ‘good mother’. Belinda thinks that she is a good mother, but why is she unable to get the baby to breastfeed? Belinda is very torn with missing the university life and the work that she could do. But she wants to be there for the baby, yet the infant seems to want no attachment to her.

Pastor Lewis stops by to try and convince Belinda that it is all just a misunderstanding. Solange is really a good person at heart. She might have strong, opinionated ideas, and her concepts of the world are old-fashioned. But she has the power to change people. After all, the Pastor was a heavy smoker one, and then Solange prayed over him — and ever since he has been smoke-free. Well, maybe that Nicorette gum also helped.

But by now, Belinda has had enough. Her house has been invaded by an elderly racist bigot weirdo – someone who has lot of body control issues. Belinda has had bad dreams and nightmares, and even Norman can see that something is out of place. The sweet smile of Solange hides an evil intent. Would Norman and Belinda be able to move on to a better life if Solange was out of the picture? How much longer will that horrible hag be around? Well — maybe someone might be able handle that…

“The Front Room” is a compact story in a compressed setting — making for a very claustrophobic family drama. It is considered a ‘horror’ movie mostly because of the way it presented. It has its share of creepy shadows, unsettling lighting choices and off-putting performances. The delightful frantic frenzy of Solange is in the capable control of Kathryn Hunter. She is a crazed wonder to admire in this role. She gives off incredibly unhinged vibes!

The twin brothers (Sam and Max Eggers) who are Directors and Screenwriters on this movie also happen to be related to another A24 talent. Robert Eggers is responsible for “The Witch”, “The Lighthouse” and “Northman”. This is the first effort from these brothers. It shows that they have great promise, but they might not be in the Big Leagues quite yet.

“The Front Room” is marked by a wild performance and a mild storyline – this movie starts out with promise, but dissolves into a big fat ‘M-E-Double-S’.