“The Front Room” is the directorial debut of brothers Max and Sam Eggers (half-brothers of “The Lighthouse” director Robert Eggers, which Max co-wrote). The film is a domestic nightmare brought to film: a psychic stab at the stereotypical, horrifying mother-in-law with a touch of absurdity and surrealism. Set largely within the confines of the home, this claustrophobic aspect clashes with the overstimulation of the monster mother-in-law’s needy, fussy behavior. The premise proposes a battle of wits and control through a brewing storm between the two protagonists that never comes to fruition.
Belinda (Brandy Norwood) is a non-tenured professor at a local college, treated like an adjunct, and unable to feel fulfilled or recognized in her position. Her pregnancy and the resulting maternity leave do not help her achieve the upward mobility she so desperately desires, so she quits. Her husband, Norman (Andrew Burnap), a public defender, is a tender support system for her, but, as is later proven through more consequential situations, he does not have the strength to support his wife with anything more than shaky words of affirmation. With Belinda’s newfound unemployment and a public defender’s salary expected to support a pregnant family, the couple struggles to find balance amid financial stress.
When Norman’s estranged father dies, to their great unease and discomfort, they attend the funeral and are reunited with his mother-in-law, Solange (Kathryn Hunter), a deeply religious and equally estranged woman. With the couple cornered between the overwhelming weight of her presence and that of the pastor, Solange offers to pay off the mortgage and leave them as the sole beneficiaries of her will, but only if they take her in to live out the remainder of her life. Norman backs out, but with a baby on the way and her bank accounts under cover, Belinda fights back, claiming that the pros must outweigh the cons, declaring that “she can’t be that bad.” And so, she is moved into the living room of the couple’s home, giving the film its name.
“The Front Room” takes a while to settle in narratively and tonally, and it leaves the viewer hanging to figure out what exactly they’re watching. While genre isn’t the determinant of the film’s effectiveness, the time spent weighing its allegiance to absurdity is baffling. Once the Eggers brothers make their choice, though, they revel in it. Frankly, “The Front Room’s” main narrative avenue is silliness. The tension the film’s marketing would lead you to expect isn’t there much. In part, this is due to the single-paced characters who don’t leave much to be surprised by. Solange is the worst possible older person. She’s disrespectful, needy, racist, conniving, and ungrateful. She’ll do anything to drive a wedge between Belinda and Norman, including intentionally incontinence (which plays a big part in the film’s gross-out humor).
There’s a clear plot line between the baby on the way and the paradoxical elderly baby they’ve adopted. The aforementioned incontinence (from feces to spit and everything in between) and childish antics of Solange’s behavior drive the film’s humor and interest. It’s effective about half the time and clumsy the rest. Still, without Hunter’s devotion, “The Front Room” would be a hollow story. Hunter brings his best physical acting (“The Tragedy of Macbeth” is arguably his best showing) to what otherwise seems like faded ink on the page, led by mediocre supporting performances. Norwood, who shares the screen in equal measure, is incredibly flat, delivering lines with forced conviction and little nuance. Belinda’s writing evolves from pushover to stalwart adversary in the blink of an eye. Burnap’s childlike timidity is believable, but ultimately dull, as his character lacks any arc or backbone.
Belinda’s prior abortion is a quality that is too slight and underused within the story. But it’s worth highlighting for the ways it contributes to the film’s ideas about motherhood and how power contributes to making a house a home. All things considered, though, the script’s shallowness and flimsy performances feel like the consequential backdrop to make way for Solange’s bodily antics and bold remarks. “The Front Room” is a bold and provocative debut, and you have to respect the Eggers brothers’ commitment to the role (even when it gets tiring). It’s passable for an easy-to-watch film and some awkward laughs, but it’s bearable only in the name of Hunter’s loyal antagonism, while falling short on almost everything else.