A pair of impressive lead performances anchor this emotionally resonant story of family faced with a nightmarish scenario. Superstar-to-be Brie Larson delivers the performance of a lifetime as Joy, an abductee confined in a man's soundproofed shed. There, she raises the 5-year-old son, Jack, born into that prison, played with nuance by standout newcomer Jacob Tremblay.

The film has two distinct halves, the first consisting of life in Room and the duo's harrowing escape from it, and the second focused on the separate paths they follow post trauma. While the 118 minute runtime is felt a bit in the middle portion, a stirring final reel reasserts the movie's poignant message of familial interdependence. Reinforcing that idea is Joan Allen as Joy's mother, who lends strength and grace to each of her scenes.

Thoughtfully directed by Lenny Abrahamson, he shows respect for the audience and lurid subject matter in choosing imagery that is by turns disturbing, but never gratuitous. In fact, given recent true-life stories resembling the plot, the movie is uncomfortably realistic. Despite its bleak setup, Room is ultimately an optimistic story of survival, featuring some of the decade's best acting.

Final Grade: A- | 94/100 | ★★★½