The Front Room (2024)

I recently watched the film "The Front Room," which stars Brandy Norwood in a role that marks her return to thriller and horror genres since "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer." The movie takes you on a wild ride with a deranged mother-in-law who claims her actions are in the name of Jesus Christ, but in reality, she is mentally unstable. Despite its low budget and odd script, "The Front Room" is a captivating watch as you witness the disturbing antics of this non-biological mother-in-law towards the protagonist, especially after the birth of a baby. Her behavior, from her laugh to her speech, is so repulsive that you may find yourself wanting to intervene and have her arrested. While the film may not be a masterpiece, it is also not without merit. It offers a twisted and entertaining experience, showcasing the extent of the mother-in-law's insanity.

Kathryn Hunter tuns in quite an entertaining performance here as the truly odious and manipulative "Solange" but the rest of this is pretty weak. It all starts with teacher "Belinda" (Brandy Norwood) and her lawyer husband "Norman" (Andrew Burnap) expecting a baby and struggling to make ends meet in their new home. His father dies, and at the funeral he learns that the terms of the will sort of require them to take in his stepmother for what's left of her life. She's tiny, walks with two big sticks, and looks like she's already in God's waiting room - but "Norman" loathes the woman. "Belinda", on the other hand, deicides that the cash on offer is too good to turn down and so... What now ensues is just a mess. The characterisation of "Belinda" has all the depth of an Ethiopian river in July and her drippy husband - who just reminded me of a grown up "Harry Potter" the whole time - struggle to make any impact on a story that just doesn't deliver. There's no menace, no sense of peril, some adult nappies and as script that came straight from the "Janet & John" book of elementary thriller writing. It's actually quite a tasteless and an annoyingly repetitive watch with shades of "Rosemary's Baby" to it - but very shady shades. It's fodder for Halloween season, and after a few beers late at night on the television might bear watching just for the efforts of Hunter, but otherwise this is completely forgettable stuff.