“Enter the Room”
Credits:
Written & Directed: Harry Waldman
Starring: Peter Mastne, Rich Holton
Run Time: 00:15:00
Available to stream? Not yet. You can check out the trailer here.
One of the beautiful things about independent films is when they take something that could be relatively low concept, and elevate it to be incredibly high concept. Harry Waldman’s Enter the Room does exactly that. It utilizes one of the tried and true tricks from the indie filmmaking handbook — a single location setting, and raises the stakes by creating a psychological thriller.
After a brief, yet manic cold open with our lead, Brian (played with an intensity by Peter Mastne), we’re introduced to his brother, Jeremy. The set up sounds simple enough: Jeremy is in town for a new work opportunity, and is temporarily staying with Brian. Immediately though, something seems off.
Brian seems antsy and annoyed right out of the gate. This seems to throw Jeremy, which is a telling sign. If even his own brother is thrown off by Brian’s behavior, something is out of the ordinary. As the story progresses not only does Brian’s reactions get more intense, but his fuse gets shorter, and it seems like he is starting to lose grip of reality. It’s not clear if what we’re seeing are dreams, Brian contemplating different situations, or potentially something internal within Brian’s own mind.
The further we go, the more unnerving the film becomes. There are moments Mastne really feels like he’s taking risks with this character and the portrayal of someone slipping from reality. Waldman carefully walks a line from the start that navigates to a fulfilling yet jaw dropping twist ending. The cinematography and score lend itself to the tone, and place us right into Brian’s internal struggle.
Enter the Room truly puts us in Brian’s shoes, and becomes a gateway into Brian’s mind. This one setting indie delivers more than it initially seems it can. It’s not clear when Enter the Room will be available for public consumption but we definitely recommend this unique psychological thriller.
4/5 Stars
Peter Mastne in “Enter the Room” (Waldman, 2022)