Room

Brie Larson is an actress to watch. Her performances in commercial projects like 21 Jump Street and independent films like Short Term 12 have shown her as a young, rising talent in the industry. Her latest film, Room, is further proof of this.

Based on the novel by Emma Donoghue, Room follows five-year-old Jack (Jacob Tremblay), who has spent his entire life locked in a room with his mother Joy (Brie Larson), who was imprisoned years before, and their coming to terms with the possibility of escaping and the outside world.

Director Lenny Abrahamson, who made waves last year with his music-infused comedy Frank, does a 180-degree turn with Room, which is a phenomenally layered drama. It never feels overdramatic but rather is engagingly realistic. The focus through the eyes of a child and the beautiful relationship between a mother and son within the confines of a traumatic situation is completely mesmerising.

The lead performances are magnanimous. Larson is raw, emotive, strong and vulnerable, feeling all at once a victim, survivor and mother, which makes for an award-worthy performance. Young Tremblay is a revelation, feeling completely authentic, and his is truly one of the best child performances in years.

Room is a masterful film that celebrates the bond of mother and child; one of the year's best.