Inside the Room: An old-school mystery that forgets to breathe

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you have a soft spot for grainy, old-fashioned British mysteries that feel like they were filmed inside a shoebox, you might find something to like here. If you prefer movies that actually move at a pace faster than a slow walk, skip it. It's for the folks who like staring at black-and-white wallpaper and trying to guess the killer before the French guy does.

Honestly, the whole thing feels like a stage play that someone forgot to take off the stage. The characters stand around a lot. They talk at each other rather than with each other.

The vibe is... heavy

The plot centers on this diary, which is a classic trope, but they treat it like it's radioactive. Every time someone holds a page, the lighting gets weirdly dramatic. There’s a scene about halfway through where a character looks out a window for what felt like an hour. It’s not profound. It’s just long.

Austin Trevor is doing the whole 'refined foreigner' thing, and he’s fine, I guess. He doesn't have the grit you see in something like The Whirlpool, but he keeps the momentum from completely dying. The rest of the cast? They are mostly there to look concerned near fireplaces.

• The dialogue is so clipped it’s like listening to Morse code.
• The shadows in the library are the best actors in the film.
• I’m pretty sure the same chair was moved three times in one scene.

There’s a strange lack of urgency for a movie about a serial killer. People are getting bumped off, and yet the tea is always served perfectly hot. It reminds me a bit of the stuffy tension in Cousin Kate, but without the wit.

The pacing is just... weird. It drags in the middle, speeds up for ten seconds, then stops dead for a conversation about nothing. It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even a hidden gem. It’s just a movie that exists in a room. Maybe that's the point? 🧐

If you've already seen The Scarlet Car, you might appreciate how much smaller and quieter this feels. It’s a tiny, dusty puzzle box. Not very shiny, but it locks into place if you wait long enough. Just don't expect to be surprised by the end.