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6.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Secret of the Blue Room remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that are over in an hour and enjoy watching people walk around in heavy coats looking suspicious, sure. If you need pacing that feels modern, skip it. This is strictly for people who want to see how they did 'spooky' back when microphones were basically giant metal boxes hanging from the ceiling.
Gloria Stuart is in this, which is cool to see if you know her from later stuff. She spends most of the time looking worried in a doorway. Which, honestly, is fair, because the room is supposedly cursed or something.
The whole movie feels like it was filmed in one weekend. There is a lot of whispering. There is a lot of people standing in circles. At one point, I think I heard someone trip over a prop in the background, but they just kept talking.
The 'Blue Room' itself is just a room with some curtains, really. It’s funny how hard they try to convince us it’s terrifying. It’s like they spent the entire budget on the lighting guy and he just kept turning the brightness down until nobody could see a thing.
It isn't a masterpiece. It isn't even a particularly good mystery. But it’s got this weird, dusty charm that makes you feel like you're watching a secret. Sometimes, a movie doesn't need to be good to be worth watching at 2 AM on a Tuesday. 🕯️
