A Room to Die For (2017) User Reviews

Mind your words boy

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 6 August 2017]

A young couple is held tied up in the basement of some people of German descent. How they got there is told as a flashback as we see Mark Crowe (Michael Lieber) the world's worst stand-up comedian and girlfriend Jill (Loren Peta) rent a room from Henry (Christopher Craig) and Josephine (Antonia Davies) who are eccentric in their ways. Strange things go on in the house that would allow anyone familiar with the genre to know exactly what is going on. And since we already know they wind up in the basement, the film supplies its own plot spoiler.

The characters were irritating by design, even our protagonist Jill, wasn't a joy either. Knowing what happens kills the film. The whole thing with the baby crying was a dead give away.

Guide: F-word, sex, rape.

Pointless exercise.

[iamtherobotman · 3/10 · 1 June 2017]

I don't really know where to begin with this one. All was very obvious from the offset and any element of suspense or surprise there might have been was ruined with the reveals of the 'flash forward' that littered this film.

Just an odd, pointless piece of film making for me. Odd editing and overall a waste of 80 odd minutes. This was actually quite a nasty film and not in the horror aspect, but in the aspect it was ever made.

Poor Production

[heratyplant · 3/10 · 20 January 2021]

Falls somewhat short of what 'mainstream' audiences would regard as an acceptably made film, it has that 'few years out of film school' look & doing their best with what they have feel; in that regard, any film maker is to be congratulated.

However, in the real world, it's bad, bad casting, bad direction, bad extras, bad lighting, bad set dressing & unfortunately, it's not bad enough to be bad good, so it just becomes rather a drag to watch, so I skipped to the end.

Hopefully all concerned will learn from this; I just wish people would stop practising film making on audiences & get it right the first time!

Way worse than anyone expected.

[iamthehollow · 2/10 · 31 January 2017]

Can't believe someone gave this a 10...he must be incredibly hard to please, this film is just bad, predictable nonsense with horrible embarrassing acting from everyone but Christopher Craig...there are no surprises, none, what you expect to happen in the first ten minutes is literally what will occur, it's a really pointless, needlessly gratuitously violent grubby little film, I didn't like it at all.

It certainly isn't worth a ten off anyone and I can only assume this person has a vested interest.

I don't know what it is with this new fad of a 'young couple with a new house that hides a terrible secret' thing the film industry is doing, I think I prefer ghosts.

A Very Nasty Movie

[dcarsonhagy · 1/10 · 4 April 2017]

It's really hard for me to write a review about such an ugly little movie. "A Room to Die For" is just that movie. It would seem it is about an unmarried couple who are seeking shelter for a month until the girl can...I don't really know. Her boyfriend, an aspiring comedian, is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

Off they go to find this "room." The house is owned by two older people, and anyone with only one functioning brain cell could tell there is something way off about both of them. I am not going to bother with any other details.

It is one thing to have a movie that might leave its audience scratching its head. However, it is altogether different when you have a movie where you know from the get-go the protagonists are in danger, yet they do nothing but ignore the obvious until their impending doom.

Rated "R" for gruesome images, violence, and language.

Way better than I expected.

[logismum · 10/10 · 21 January 2017]

A bit slow to start with and not overly captivating until short exposures into what is to come, flash, they keep you interested and the last half an hour is horribly good.. This film went from what seemed like it might be a monotone drab, expectedly boring film to a thriller/horror with a few rather disturbing scenes, that old man is probably going to be in my worst nightmares, I do feel disturbed for life after watching this, and psychological thrillers are my favourite genre, so.... A satisfying end, exposing how vastly different Jill was, to who she was when they first moved in with the older couple. The old man is an actor I would like to see more of, IF I can get past the hauntings of this film, he is a great actor. The main girl Jill, is really good too, she is very believable, the rest just do their jobs.

This has the squirm factor that may trigger some people, not for a family sit down!

Disturbing and Underrated Low-Budget Horror Film

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 12 May 2017]

In London, the aspiring stand-up performer Mark Crowe (Michael Lieber) is financially supported by girlfriend Jill Scott (Loren Peta) that works in a call center. They find a room that they can afford rent in the isolated house of the old couple Henry Baker (Christopher Craig) and Josephine Baker (Antonia Davies). Mark stays in the room expecting to write gags while Jill works but he is disturbed by the noise of the Baker's baby or by Henry. Soon there is a friction between Mark and Henry, but Jill convinces her boyfriend to stay in the place. Jill's snobbish brother Jason Scott (Ben Ellis) offers a job to Markr but he feels offended. One day, Mark snoops around in the house and discloses a creepy secret about Henry and Josephine Baker with tragic consequences.

"A Room to Die For" is a disturbing and underrated low-budget horror film with a non-chronological screenplay that gives a smart open interpretation for Jill's last scene. Loren Peta is amazing in the role of a young woman that loves her boyfriend and has a terrible fate. The veteran Christopher Craig has also great performance in the role of a creepy character. The film is graphic and not recommended for sensitive viewers. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

A wonderfully and progressivley disturbing indie horror film.

[parry_na · 8/10 · 19 February 2021]

One of the joys of Devanand Shanmugam's film is that it begins so steadily, even sedately. You might even be put off by this, but stick with it. Events turn progressively darker, even if they never reach the wince-inducing depths of Mark's aspirations as a stand-up comedian (don't worry, he's supposed to be bloody awful). Mark (Michael Lieber) is a bit of an idiot, and, as is often the way of things recently, the girlfriend, in this case Jill (Loren Peta), provides the practicalities and the backbone of the relationship.

So strong is she that when the couple's new landlords, Henry (Christopher Craig) and Josephine Baker (Antonia Davies), prove to clearly be up to no good, you're surprised she doesn't cotton on sooner. Whatever, this tightly written chiller becomes progressively more weird and genuinely disturbing - nasty, even.

Another joy is the unpredictable quality of the ongoing story. You truly don't know where it is heading, but get quite a jolt when it gets there. My score is 8 out of 10.

A rather fun descent into madness! General basic discussion of plot, no major details or ending revealed.

[dainamariebradley · 6/10 · 19 June 2021]

Not a cinematic masterpiece to be sure, but I found it to be a fun watch. I like offbeat and different rather than a franchise clone. If you're expecting a traditional horror movie, then pass this up. The ratings reflect the general consensus, but some of us like unique. This isn't a ghost, zombie or vampire story, but rather, insanity inflicted on a down on their luck "average" couple struggling with finances who are willing to make compromises to survive. They decide to rent a highly affordable, furnished room in a deceptively nice old couple's home. The creep factor lies in knowing something similar could, and has, happened in the real world. There's humor in the madness as well, which made it more fun for me. The girlfriend's brother, a cliche stuffed-shirt, snobby elitist with annoying traits, is thoroughly unlikable but his cluelessness is amusing. I rooted for Marcus, the boyfriend half of the renting couple, who has big dreams of being a stand-up comedian but so far, only gigs for no pay. He made no bones about not wanting to live there, but his feelings were dismissed by his domineering, employed girlfriend because he didn't contribute financially to the relationship. Maybe he should've used the elderly landlords as his inspiration and a comedic outlet for his frustration and anger to possibly get a paid gig! I was oddly happy to see his know-it-all, controlling girlfriend in that "aha!" moment when she realized Marcus was telling the truth about the old couple, which is almost immediately obvious to the viewer. The director and actors, in my opinion, made the characters come to life with humor and creativity. I didn't detect a "this low-budget is all I can get" attitude here. They looked like they had fun and put heart into their roles. Much was done with only a few characters and a simple, yet effective, setting. This is not a film that will be remembered for greatness, and many criticize its shortcomings but again, I watch to be entertained and while it won't entertain everyone, it'll entertain some as it did for me. I like to give interesting-sounding plots and low-rated films a chance, and I'm happy I gambled on this one.

A horror movie that means brutal business

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 7 January 2021]

Struggling wannabe stand-up comedian Marcus Crowe (a solid performance by Michael Lieber) and his long-suffering girlfriend Jill Scott (a sound and appealing portrayal by Loren Peta) rent a room in a London house owned by an elderly couple. Of course, there's more to said elderly couple than initially meets the eye.

Director/co-writer Devanand Shanmugam relates the absorbingly twisted story at a deliberate pace, ably crafts a super creepy and unsettling atmosphere, takes time to develop the characters, grounds the premise in a believable everyday reality, and maintains a dark grim tone throughout. Moreover, the plots gets more increasingly icky and upsetting as it unfolds towards a devastatingly savage climax. Christopher Craig and Antonia Davies are both excellent as the old couple, with Craig a particular stand-out as a loony old duffer who turns out to be an extremely nasty piece of crazy scary work. Unpleasant for sure, but undeniably effective and disturbing just the same.