An Idle Roomer: Is this old-school drama worth your time?

Is it worth the watch?

If you have a soft spot for grainy, old-fashioned dramas that feel like they were pulled out of a dusty trunk, you might dig An Idle Roomer. If you need pacing, modern stakes, or characters who actually do something productive, steer clear. This one is for the late-night crowd who likes to watch things just to see how people lived a hundred years ago.

There is this moment about halfway through where someone is just standing in a doorway, looking at a chair. It goes on for way longer than it needs to. I checked my phone, looked back, and they were still just staring at the fabric.

The Vibe

The whole movie feels like a stage play that forgot to let the audience leave. It lacks the punch of Manslaughter, which at least had some movement to it. Here, the characters seem to drift through the hallways like they are looking for a plot that never showed up to work.

• The lighting is honestly pretty moody, in a 'we only have one lamp' kind of way.
• The dialogue sounds like it was written by someone who had never actually spoken to a real human being.
• Marie Blake tries her best to make the silence interesting, but it is a heavy lift.

I couldn't help but compare it to The Fast Worker. That movie had energy. This one? It feels like it’s taking a nap in the middle of a scene. Sometimes a movie gets better when it stops taking itself so seriously, but this one never stops. It is dead serious about doing absolutely nothing.

There is this one reaction shot of Lou Lubin that lasts forever. He just blinks. Then he blinks again. I started laughing because it felt like the camera operator had fallen asleep behind the lens. It’s that kind of movie. You take what you can get.

Don't look for deep meaning here. It is just a snapshot of people in rooms. Some of them are idle, most of them are bored, and frankly, I felt right there with them by the time the credits rolled. 😴