Everything goes to hell for a newly pregnant woman after her mother-in-law moves in. A film by Max Eggers & Sam Eggers, starring Brandy Norwood, Andrew Burnap, Neal Huff, Mary Testa, Mary Catherine Wright, David Manis, Ellen J. Maddow, and Kathryn Hunter.

Belinda (Brandy Norwood), a pregnant anthropology professor, becomes increasingly frustrated when she is unable to meet with Frank Stewart, the department chair, to discuss her class schedule during her upcoming maternity leave. She feels that Frank is avoiding her, as he is often out of the office whenever she tries to visit. Frank’s assistant, Mary (Mary Testa), treats Belinda as an adjunct because she has not been granted tenure.

An adjunct professor is a part-time faculty member in higher education who is hired on a contractual basis, typically to teach specific courses without the expectation of tenure. This role has become increasingly prevalent in universities and colleges, with adjuncts constituting a significant portion of instructional staff. A tenured professor is a faculty member at a college or university who has been granted tenure, a status that provides significant job security and protects their academic freedom. This status is typically achieved after a probationary period, during which the professor must demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, and service to the institution.

In the evening, Belinda’s husband, Norman (Andrew Burnap), a public defender, receives a phone call from an unknown number. He is startled when he hears a familiar voice asking if he is Norman Gene; it belongs to his estranged stepmother, Solange (Kathryn Hunter). Later, Norman reveals to Belinda that he had a traumatic childhood with Solange, who wouldn’t let him eat until he sang “Jesus Loves Me.” He explains that Solange believes the Holy Spirit possesses her and gives her power. He then tells Belinda that Solange has asked him to visit his father, who is dying of stomach cancer. However, Norman seems frightened and too frustrated to return to his childhood home.

That night, Belinda wakes up to the sound of a baby crying and follows it to an empty room, where she finds a baby beanie lying on the carpet. The film reveals that the beanie belongs to Wallace, Belinda’s firstborn son who passed away from unknown causes, and it becomes clear that Belinda is still clinging to and grieving for her lost child.

The next day, Belinda is furious when she realizes that Frank has stood her up at his office despite having an appointment with her. When she asks Mary where Frank is, Mary tells her that he is probably showing the new hires around. Having lost all patience, Belinda storms into Frank’s office and leaves her resignation letter on his desk.

Norman and Belinda attend Norman’s father’s funeral at the Church of the Light after receiving the news from Pastor Lewis (Neal Huff). At the service, they meet Solange, who offers them her entire inheritance, including the proceeds from selling Norman’s childhood home. In return, Solange asks only to live with them during her final days. Norman is initially hesitant, but Belinda convinces him to accept the offer after seeing the substantial sum Solange is willing to give them. This money would solve most of their financial problems, including paying off their house.

Written and directed by the Eggers brothers in their feature film debut, The Front Room is a psychological horror film with a promising premise and a strong cast, particularly Kathryn Hunter, who captivates the audience with her thrilling performance as Solange, the mother-in-law and antagonist of the story.

However, the film ultimately fails to be a memorable horror or psychological thriller. Its screenplay suffers from underdeveloped characters with ambiguous backstories; for instance, it hints at how Belinda lost her first child but never expands on what actually happened or why the characters have become who they are now.

The film feels longer than necessary, lacking significant narrative momentum to push the story forward. At times, some scenes become repetitive, showcasing different angles for style rather than substance. I mean, how many feces or toilet flushing scenes do I have to endure watching on the screen to understand their situation? One is probably more than enough.

The film kind of misleads me into believing that there is some kind of sinister force at play, but it turns out to be mostly hallucination or merely figments of the protagonist’s imagination. I can understand the dramatic psychological tension between the mother-in-law and the wife, but if there is no supernatural force, why make the film feel like it has one? It is just confusing.

There are several things that feel wrong. For example, there are scenes that show Solange’s mischievous smile after she intentionally did something terrible. I’ve seen it, and Belinda also saw it. But Belinda doesn’t do anything about it; instead, she continues to care for Solange as if nothing happened.

Norman is probably the most annoying character, with actions that seem deliberately unconvincing. At first, he appears deeply affected by his traumatic childhood experiences living with Solange, who controlled every aspect of his life. He strongly opposes the idea of Solange moving in with them. However, once Solange does come to live with them, Norman inexplicably seems to trust her words more than those of his own wife, Belinda. What? Why? He doesn’t even stand by his wife to support her against Solange.

The FRONT ROOM was theatrically released in the United States on 6 September 2024, by A24.