The Oak Room (2020) User Reviews

I have a theory...

[fatamorgana-40208 · 7/10 · 4 September 2021]

Atmosphere and mood are excellent. I like the script, but it does take a while to develop. However, this is not an action movie so I wasn't disappointed when I was treated to conversation and dialogue rather than action, as it was never promised to me in the first place.. That being said, I have a theory that I'm surprised I haven't seen from anyone else, including all those sites which claim to explain a movie for you when you want an explanation So, here's what I believe to be the hidden story... There is a scene about halfway through the movie that nobody seems to want to talk about. After the power goes out and Stevie is asked to go in the back and turn on the generator, he sees something of great importance, though we the viewer are not privy to what he has seen. In this moment, after he lifts up a tarp that is covering something, Stevie glances over his shoulder nervously as if expecting Paul to be sneaking up on him or something. And the camera does this little move that is done in lots of movies when a major truth is suddenly revealed or a frighteningly significant moment has just taken place...the camera pulled back rapidly to let the severity of the moment sink in...so what did Stevie find?

The answer...Stellie.

My theory is that Paul, the owner of the bar, is a low-level mobster, way down on the totem pole and he was discovered to be a rat by Stellie. (Stellie, i believe, is a slightly bigger mobster than Paul with direct connections to the biggest mobster, Jimmy Thompson) A fight or something ensued and Paul ended up killing Stellie and hiding him in the back of the bar under the tarp until he could figure out what to do with him. And the reason I think this makes sense is one, Stevie wasn't worried about Stellie being at the bar when he walked in out of the cold. Two, after Paul makes a "supposed" phone call to Stellie alerting him that Stevie was back in town, Stevie confidently states that he doesn't believe Paul even talked to Stellie at all. Why would Stevie think that if he didn't already believe that Stellie was dead? Lastly, at the end of the movie, when Paul claims that Stellie should be appearing, Stevie proceeds to slide his father's ashes to the side of his seating area, indicating that he wasn't planning on leaving at all. He had no fear whatsoever of a mobster coming to break his kneecaps or put his cigarettes out in his eyeballs as Paul claimed he might do. Why? Because what he saw under the tarp was Stellie's body. Stevie knew that only Michael, the hired killer, would be showing up.

The rest is pretty easy to figure out...but that tarp incident is extremely significant, I'm surprised nobody else mentioned that scene.

.

Great STORY-not a movie for everyone

[petarilic32 · 7/10 · 2 October 2021]

Phenomenal cinematography, acting, dialogue and plot. It does fall off at points which is why I can't give it a higher rate, however it still delivers. Very original and unique. This isn't action packed or fast paced AT ALL, so if you're easily bored you'll have a hard time getting through this one.

The ending makes sense, won't going to spoil it for anyone, but if you were paying attention you know what happened. A solid 7/10 from me.

A stormy cold day

[OJT · 7/10 · 19 October 2020]

The Oak Room is a good movie with a creepy feel. It's all about the mystery and the mood - and he dialog. It all starts with a man entering a remote bar in a snow storm as it's closing for the evening. The man is known to the bartender, and the meeting is the start of an eerie evening, with a story told the very same way this movie starts. Who are these men, how are they interconnected?

Well played, and with good tension, this movie unfolds like a theatrical chamber play where it lies in the dialog.

The power of a story

[grantdoran · 7/10 · 12 November 2022]

A very clever and carefully-crafted film.

Great atmosphere and, despite being mostly one to one story-telling, it keeps your interest until the end.

Terrific acting from a very small cast, especially RJ Mitte and Ari Millen.

The soundtrack is very good and compliments the mood of the film well.

The script is great, although the main characters sometimes get too repetitive, as though the writers didn't fully trust the audience to get the point.

At one point, it was a story within a story and started to have an Inception feel.

Worth watching if you like your brain to be engaged during a movie.

Respects its audience, almost to a fault

[jtindahouse · 7/10 · 22 November 2022]

I always find films based on plays interesting to watch. Theoretically, having a story that is very contained in its settings should hamper a film. However I often find that because the film has to rely on terrific dialogue they can often be some of the best films going around. I wouldn't say 'The Oak Room' is one of the best films going around mind you, but it certainly had some good stuff going for it.

The film is both simple and complicated at the same time. On the surface it can come across very simply, but under the water everything is paddling mighty fast. This becomes very apparent at the end. The film is going to leave some very confused. I had to go and read an explanation about the film. Luckily I found a very well written one which explained everything in heavy detail. So I know that the film does make sense, but how many people are going to pick up all those things on a first watch? Probably not enough.

I love a film that respects its audience though and 'The Oak Room' clearly does. 7/10.

Pretty dull, give it a miss.

[Opinate · 2/10 · 2 April 2021]

There is some decent acting by Martin Roach and RJ Mitte mostly, and some really bad acting by some others.

Overall its pretty boring and the dialogue is way too on the nose.

The camera work is decent but I don't understand the comments about the creepy 'mood.' It's just scenes in a bar with two guys telling stories with a wee reveal at the end. Nothing Earth shattering.

It feels a little like a prolonged telling of the hook-handed escaped convict campfire story.

Ending lost me

[Draysan-Jennings · 6/10 · 7 April 2021]

Despite the unexplained ending, the film was pretty solid. I liked the plot and it had some great acting. It had a very small cast and most of the movie was filmed inside of a bar. Proving that you don't need a huge budget and large cast to make a good movie. I just wished the ending was explained. There was no clarification on who Jimmy Thompson was or why he put a hit on the bartender. Leaving us lost in the end. Either way I still think this film is worth a watch. 6 stars.

Not really my cup of tea but not a bad movie

[rosanna-83335 · 5/10 · 14 August 2021]

This film is all about tension, story telling and the intrigue of what stars as very innocent normal seeming situations. It doesn't at all go in the direction you might think.

I didn't really like the slow pace and the very little plot as well as not actually having any real answers at the end but not only can I see that it is well done and is an interesting concept, I would recommend it. I do see why some people loved it. Some people will absolutely hate it and probably not stand more than 15 mins of it but you might surprise yourself.

A Film About Story

[dudewholikesthepits · 7/10 · 19 October 2021]

This film is about story. About captivating with words (rather than explosions and cool costumes). It's a slow burn where each moment builds off of the last. It's more than worth the time. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I can't understand the number of reviewers saying they don't know why Michael was after the bartender. It's right there in the scene at The Oak room "just like I'm gonna snap your neck you rat!". He gave Thompson up at some point in the past.

Regard for the Viewer

[westsideschl · 4/10 · 17 September 2021]

Complex, obscure, figure it out on your own, left hanging ending, flashbacks are all cute, but not when added together and shows a deep disregard for the variety of viewing public's desires & capabilities.

That said, you get a killer (we are given no reasonable reason why) of a couple of strangers (one of whom also has an untold hinted at background), and possibly a third victim also with an untold hinted at background. Lots of film time spent on looking at a car on a snowy road, a watch & a key set (Why? Who knows.); telling a story of our killer as a child, and film time suggesting a body lies under a tarp in the basement; frame by frame views you don't see any evidence of that.

A guy walks into a bar ...

[begob · 8/10 · 31 August 2021]

A disloyal son returns to the bar his late father used to frequent, but who will face the music?

A web of haunting menace, woven through stories within stories, down to the fourth level where we find a piglet. The point here is to catch the drift, rather than wonder about the destination, because there's only one place all these characters are headed.

This is framed and paced with expertise, using visual and musical motifs to layer the experience; with stories split apart or laid out on divergent tracks, both fabricated and sworn to be true. It even includes a goose-the-truth scene to show how exactly to tell a story - and, yes, the barman made that story up, but his next one reveals all you need to take to heart and, in combination with the piglet story, provides a disturbing foundation.

The two lead performances are excellent, and the production is to a high standard, varying the emphasis in what is basically a two-hander. And I loved the music from Torero and Steph Copeland.

Overall: Not really a horror, but a weird tale done to perfection.

i love when...

[ops-52535 · 6/10 · 2 April 2021]

They round up movies like they do in this fairytail... because its a fairytail or story telling stone by stone it makes a mansion worth more than 1000 words.

And the makers of this canadian cold acadian winter fable has done a great job with the storytelling the plotting and especially the visuallization of the spoken word. It drags you hitherto and withertoo and youll never know what to expect and who takes the winning ticket. Because life is a mystery and storytelling while thawing up after travelling through a snow blizzard for hours in a , for the night, closed bar with just the attendant behind the bar the stories becomes grell and gives you coldblisters on your fingers cause its a spinechilling nasty thriller youre about to see, but still it walks so slow that you start thinking of self experienced freeze out stories.

And my worst freeze out story didnt happen in the winter, no it happened at the beach on the warmest day of july that year, me and my bro went freediving or snorkling for crabs wearing only speedoes, to set the dinner menu for the evening. Well with 17'c in the water its fun to play in the waves, and also set for some snorkling, but the currents west of karmøy island are strong and not to be relied on, and as the crabs stood lined up for us to grab like a golden nugget, the crab fever took overhand, till some 70 minutes out and my jaw started to twitch and that was the start of a shivering cold that i'll never forget. I took some 30 min to haul myself onto the beach and almost crushing my teeth for another 2 hours cluttering like an ak-47 in the baking hot sand and some 25'c in the air, it was just astonishing, and hasnt been repeated thereafter. If it hadnt been for the stamina and support from my bro i guess i would still be playing with the crabs. But a good solid freeze it was.

So if you like icecold stories from the unexpected do watch the oak room, the acting is solid, and they keep their card to their chests till they spread the ashes. A recommend from the grumpy old man.

The Oak Room

[turtleloverules · 1/10 · 25 July 2022]

This is the go to movie formula since covid began. Make a movie plot based on an interesting premise, get the watcher engrossed in it and present no definitive conclusion. I am now rating any and all of these time wasters 1 star for trickery .

Goose the truth

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 9 May 2021]

Steve (RJ Mitte ) returns to his home town after being gone for three years. He owes some debts and offers to tell the bar tender with a story to settle his debts. Steve goes on and tells a tale similar to the situation he is in: snowy night, closed bar, and and an inhospitable bar tender wanting to close up.

The story is one that is boring and holds your interest. The film ends at a point where you know there is a great back story, but you don't know what it is.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Excellent slow burn thriller

[TiCor78 · 7/10 · 19 July 2022]

Came across 'The Oak Room' while browsing the Prime catalogue.

Never heard of it before, so I went in blind hoping for the best...

This is very nice slow burn thriller with a very limited cast and which is set in limited locations (2 bars) during a snow storm at night.

It takes its time to build the atmosphere to a point that it becomes really unsettling.

This movie relies on storytelling and does this very well.

The stories that are told and the conversations are gripping and thought provoking. You need to pay attention to the details, because these details will help you to understand the ending.

Really enjoyed RJ Mitte's (aka Walter White JR) performance!

Probably not for everyone, but if you enjoy a slow burn thriller where words/stories are more important than action, maybe you should give 'The Oak Room' a chance... I'm glad I did.

Time Waster

[Astaroth22 · 3/10 · 4 September 2021]

It's one of those films that makes one think "if I just hang in there long enough it will get better" but it never does. What you see is what you get.

The road to get there was to long

[berg-74532 · 6/10 · 14 June 2022]

The story was excellent the acting was top notch but it's clear to me that they wanted a feature length movie so they jammed 2 stories that were completely unnecessary to fill time. This should have been one story in an anthology but even with the filler it was worth the time to watch it all.

Hard to finish.

[sedmak7 · 2/10 · 6 April 2021]

This movie is 88 mins with credits and i barely got through it. A dull, boring storytelling mess you should definitely skip.

Great story, terrible dialogue.

[thejudomadonna-1 · 6/10 · 20 July 2022]

I only have this one a shot because I saw RJ Mitte was in it, and I wanted to see something with him besides breaking bad.

The story was interesting, very slow-burn, but I like those, so your mileage may vary.

The problem I had was with the dialogue. The monologues were mostly good - when I found out it was based on a stage play, I was like, yeah that makes sense.

But all the stuff in between felt like someone fed a Tarantino script to a robot and told it to write a screenplay.

It was real bad and sort of took you out of the movie at times.

The Aesthetics were decent, but the potential wasnt there.

[DuskShadow · 3/10 · 2 November 2021]

And I saw that with a heavy heart: " The aesthetics were decent, but the potential wasnt there." The shots of the impossible storm, the look of the cold bar, I liked that...but the movie just had no point. IT was pure nonsense. I felt like the bartender, forced to listen to the inane prattle of fools in stupors, wallowing in their own self loathing and pointless existences. A least if the movie had a horror angle, or something even remotely supernatural or profound, it would have been better. But no...this was a waste of time. Avoid. 3/10.

Good storytelling

[kimlagarner · 8/10 · 15 May 2021]

I love a good story and this has plenty of stories. I enjoyed the acting and the movie.

Slowburning Cabaret

[jascho-60273 · 7/10 · 26 July 2022]

We found the movie to be a good modern thriller. The story and the flashbacks within flashbacks were quite fun and gripping even with the rather slow unfolding plot.

The acting was a bit exaggerated at some points and F found the dialogue to be a bit lackluster.

The cinematography was lovely and the set design was very well used.

Hope you don't like actual stories

[mweaver-10401 · 2/10 · 24 September 2022]

Do you like movies without endings? Because this is a movie without an ending. There are multiple stories that interconnect, supposedly, but you won't get an ending on any of them? Who's Timmy Johnson (or whatever the guy's name was that the killer asked about)? No clue. Why does Stevie owe money all over town? MAYBE because of his dad...but again...not sure. Who the hell is Stellie and why do we care? No answer there. Why did the guy have his hand cut? Who knows? Why is the killer so bad at his job? Who hired him? Why is none of this on the news? All questions you won't get answers to. It's too bad because the movie had me sucked in just to let me down.

not Scheherazade

[redinnevada · 6/10 · 16 November 2022]

Finished better than I expected after a very slow start. The concept was intriguing so I turned it on but right away you can feel the woodenness of the actors. But, I left it on in the background and caught a few snippets of "the story" that began to make it interesting. The acting never improved but the story did. The dialogue was pretty rudimentary...an exchange of "but why not?" "because I said I don't want to" "but you'll like it" on and on and on like that several times ....I mean...that's such teenager tripe conversation and gets boring pretty fast.

Definitely figured out the ending before we got there. The saddest part of the whole story was him having to kill the baby pig. Even more sad than realizing it was the impetus for him to becoming a killer. He cried over that death. But now he's the one dealing it out without remorse at all.

Over-all, not bad but coulda been spiced up with better dialogue and better acting.

I liked this movie, but don't understand it.

[juliettegw · 6/10 · 4 July 2022]

I was drinking beer after beer the holiday day off that I watched this movie. I liked it, didn't understand exactly what happened. I wished I did. I wanted to understand the story. It didn't start off with a bang, but the premise was intriguing. Trade a story for a debt. It would have to be a really dramatic or life altering story. I should probably watch it again to get a better grasp, but will probably watch one of the Ghostbusters movies again instead. I don't really trust movies to really have important enough to meaning to spend 1.5 hours twice to understand it. If they had meaning for our higher good, or if the characters learned something that made LIFE make more sense, or if the movie gave understanding about God's purpose for that person's life, I would watch it again, but, it had too much dark energy and really not any uplifting point, so I don't want to watch it again. But, slightly interesting movie.