If there’s one genre that A24 loves to revel in, it’s horror. From the impeccable X films to hits like I Saw the TV Glow, Talk To Me, and Midsommar, this studio consistently uplifted these creative visions that, in a way, could make them rival big name franchises. Continuing this line of production is a surprisingly fun horror-comedy that offers the right amount of character and grossness from the brothers of The Witch‘s Robert Eggers, Max and Sam Eggers: The Front Room.
The Front Room follows newlyweds Belinda (Brandy) and Norman Irwin (Andrew Burnap) trying to adjust with changing circumstances. After Norman’s dad passes away, the two meet Norman’s stepmother Solange (Kathryn Hunter), who initially seems like a friendly face they could rely on. However, things take a turn when Solange moves into their house, which only gets more complicated with the birth of Belinda’s baby. Slowly, but surely, Solange begins to wreck havoc for Belinda as the two mothers are locked into an insidious relationship plagued by beliefs, morals, and other obscene interactions.
The film’s opening defines their “situationship”, where Belinda teaches her very small class about Medusa being slain by Perseus on Athena’s behalf. While it may hint at what’s to come, this actually provides a good representation as to the circumstances Belinda has to face. Throughout the film, Belinda has to constantly persuade Norman to get Solange out despite her trickery. While Norman initially doesn’t like Solange being there, having him shift in thought over time adds that needed complexity.
These flaws and personality changes could only come from great actors like Brandy and Burnap. Brandy invigorates Belinda with this uneasy confidence and persistence that makes you want to sympathize with her even though she bore this burden herself. Belinda wants to gradually grow stronger in a way that almost reminisces on Brandy’s performance in 1997’s Cinderella with an I Know What You Did Last Summer twist. In addition, Brandy’s chemistry with Burnap, whose Dan Stevens-mannerisms hilariously make Norman a near-detached husband, certainly clicked, especially once the film escalates.
However, Hunter as Solange absolutely steals the film as the off-putting, duplicitous antagonist you’d never want to cross. She provides so much of the film’s humor just from presenting Solange’s “senile” characteristics as a way to distract the audience from her true intentions. Hunter constantly plays up the character’s unrealistic absurdity to a point where it becomes genuinely entertaining. By the film’s midpoint, Solange just reaches a level where you can’t help but laugh at how wretched she can absolutely get.
Yet, Solange is also intensely terrifying, both in traits and personality. Her manipulative mindset and racially slash politically-charged beliefs can simply make a person revolt. She’s a complete far-righter, Christian values and all, who believes in hardcore conservatism. Hell, the film even throws in an additional connection to the Ku Klux Klan if you didn’t believe Solange could get worse. As such, this drives her motivation to lead Belinda and Norman’s homestead in a way that fits her core values.
These details play heavily into The Front Room‘s obscenity, which the Eggers capture with such repugnance. The low-brow “shart” humor gets taken to a whole new level. Solange literally shits the bed and pees on the couch just to make Belinda even more angry for Norman’s sake. Though there’s no blood to be shed unlike Hereditary, The Front Room just makes you want to look away at just the right moments to get that shock factor in.
The film also plays deep with its religious undertones, both narratively and visually. Due to Solange also being extremely into her Christianity, it was obvious that it would have to go hand-in-hand with the visual indecency. There is a lot of religious imagery, from Solange’s following speaking in tongues to heal Belinda’s baby cut to her fully embodying Mother Mary in the most appalling way possible. However, this mostly works because of the film’s more comedic perspective, though it’s a bit reasonable why some might not want to see this in full.
All of this is to say that the film’s ideas about both motherhood and womanhood were executed well. Belinda is a great representation of how women, especially Black women, find their voice and confidence amidst harsh circumstances. By allowing her to develop around Norman’s dismissiveness and Solange, who truly is a complete antithesis of her character, the Eggers brothers have made their message loud and clear.
The Front Room is a darkly deranged, yet absolutely hilarious, horror film that confidently gambles with its salaciousness to share an empowering message. While its humor may not be for everyone and its characters may become too irrational, this film certainly leaves a positive mark on A24’s library of horror flicks. Max and Sam Eggers have proven here that they could direct a film in the genre similarly to their brother Robert. However, it’s clear that The Front Room will have a strong influence on whatever they’ll direct in the future.
The Front Room releases in theaters on September 6.
