It’s a risky maneuver to take a story that could easily become psychological horror, and instead turn it into a delicate, almost fanciful character piece. Emma Donoghue adapts her own novel which opens in a single small room, where Jack (Jacob Tremblay) is just turning 5 years old. And he’s lived in that room his entire life, along with his mother, Joy (Brie Larson), who was abducted as a teenager and imprisoned there by a man they know only as Old Nick (Sean Bridgers). Donoghue and director Lenny Abrahamson keep the focus on Jack’s point of view, and Tremblay’s terrific performance allows an understanding of the resilient, flexible ability of a child to adapt to the only world he knows. But Larson is also remarkable at capturing Joy’s ability to help Jack navigate that world, and craft a narrative that protects them both. The second half of the story complicates their relationship in intriguing ways, even if there’s less powerful tension. It’s still a terrific manifestation of the truth behind fairy tales—both their underlying horror, and their goal of keeping children safe.
By
Scott Renshaw