The Immaculate Room, 2022.
Written and Directed by Mukunda Michael Dewil.
Starring Kate Bosworth, Emile Hirsch, Ashley Greene, M. Emmet Walsh, and Alex Sgambati.
SYNOPSIS:
Secrets and private demons emerge when a seemingly perfect young couple competes for a 5 million dollar prize by isolating themselves in an empty white room for 50 days. No phones, no family – only the room trying to break their resolve.
Writer and director Mukunda Michael Dewil likely have multiple meanings on his mind with the title The Immaculate Room. It’s a spacious, pristine white room, hence the immaculate description. However, immaculate also refers to someone or something being free of flaws and perfect. According to Roman Catholic theology, immaculate means free of sin.
Choosing to stay in the titular room for 50 days with a cash reward of $5 million, Michael and Kate (played by Emile Hirsch and Kate Bosworth, respectively) are up to facing that psychological pressure. There are no phones or communication with the outside world, food and water are dispensed through a machine, and the lights go out every night at 10 p.m. sharp. All Michael and Kate have are each other, putting their sanity and relationship to the test.
Granted, the above is not necessarily a new social experiment; the script does take a unique approach in that there is no information given regarding who is running the room (I believe it’s briefly mentioned that it’s part of a TV show, with the creator of the space simply being a billionaire with money to blow on studying the human condition). There is no setup or prologue; The Immaculate Room begins with Michael and Kate making their entrance and getting acquainted with the intentionally dull location that they will have to endure for 50 days if they want life-changing money. And if one of them decides to leave, the other can stay, although the prize is reduced to $1 million.
There are no villains in The Immaculate Room. Sure, whoever orchestrates the experience has a briefing on who Michael and Kate are and is prepared to push their buttons and bring out their flaws to see if they will turn against one another. But when it comes down to it, Michael and Kate are their own worst enemies, or rather, the nature and stability of their relationship are what will determine success or failure.
Due to the room’s emptiness and nothingness, the film feels somewhat lethargic and uneventful, probably by design. Unfortunately, the script lacks character depth to find emotional investment and engagement elsewhere. There is an underutilized “treats” system where Michael and Kate can sacrifice 100k of the prize money for something to distract themselves; sometimes it’s artistic utensils, and sometimes it’s an entirely new person added to the mix (Ashley Greene) in what feels like a move that cheats the concept of the plot.
Regardless of what is dropped into this confined environment, it is sure to stir an argument between Michael and Kate, playing off of their undeveloped pasts (chunks of exposition that don’t matter), insecurities, and jealousy. He’s an artsy-fartsy vegan; she has self-esteem issues and copes with trauma from an alcoholic father. There’s also an awkward unshakable feeling that Mukunda Michael Dewil hates Kate’s character, painting her as a horrible person at nearly every opportunity.
The one bright spot (brighter than the lighting itself) in The Immaculate Room is the performances from Emile Hirsch, Kate Bosworth, and Ashley Greene. They are stuck with underwritten characters, but they are trying to find the humanity and sell the escalating paranoia and stakes. Flawed logic and mounting silliness eventually dirty everything up beyond repair. The Immaculate Room is a psychological thriller without thoughtful psychological observations (beyond a generic message about the corruption of money) and even fewer thrills.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
