Somewhere in France, there is a mysterious masked figure (No, not Tommy Wiseau!). This masked figure passes out envelopes. Inside the envelopes are photos. The photos lead to nefarious business for those who take them (No, not James Franco!). All the while, this masked figure lurks in… “The Room”.

Writer/Director Aurélien Zimmermann moves the film along at an unhurried, languid pace. Zimmermann isn’t afraid to linger on a black frame or hold a long static shot to set and establish mood, uses the camera effectively, layers in a nicely minimal soundscape (with no dialogue) and takes full advantage of some gorgeous scenery. Structurally, we enter in media rés, flashback, then bring everything full circle before a resolution… of sorts. The story itself doesn’t answer all the mysteries raised, and this works to the film’s advantage. There is room left for discussion on if the film is portraying a literal reality, a figurative reality, or shows an abstract representation of the protagonist’s madness. There’s a build of action in the narrative, and whether driven by an escalating series of assignments, or by the protagonist building himself up to commit his most heinous act, there’s a subtle desperation in the progression of events. Théo Balcells’ portrayal is pretty nuanced and compelling, relying mostly on subtle facial expressions to sell growing desperation.

There’s one act of violence about midway through that could have been staged a little bit better — ignore that and wait for the end. The protagonist’s penultimate action is revealed to be a truly heart-wrenching tragedy, and his final action raises more questions than it answers.

– Michael M. Miller

World of Death is the web series that fans of independent horror have been waiting for.  Featuring short horror films from all over the globe created by the largest variety of talent that a collection has ever been able to boast, WOD provides plenty of blood, guts, screams and laughs for all fans of the macabre.  And with episodes averaging around eight minutes in length, WOD is the perfect entertainment for a fan base constantly on the go.  Watch it anywhere, at any time, for FREE! New episodes premiere every Wednesday at 10am CST.

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