After opening shorts respectively characterised by static, stagey discourse and poor acting, In the Room grows in confidence and passionate eloquence.

The haunting presence of a deceased man chasing an unfulfilled moment of connection with a maid focuses the recurring themes of loneliness, regret, and what ifs.

His continual voyeurism, however, is a disturbing contributor to the film’s uncompromisingly male perspective; male bodies are repeatedly shot in a far more coy fashion than their female partners.

While the women largely remain inscrutable, Lawrence Wong gives a soulful performance in one of the better developed narratives.

Marred by inconsistency and a perverse attitude to female sexuality, In the Room offers thought-provoking contemplation on the variety of human relationships, experience and emotion passing through a single room.

RATING: 3/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Koh Boon Pin, Daniel Jenkins, Ian Tan, Nadia Ar, Netnaphad Pulsavad, Wasurat Unaprom, Lawrence Wong, Show Nishino, Choi Woo Shik, Kkobbi Kim

DIRECTOR: Eric Khoo

WRITERS: Jonathon Lim, Andrew Hook

SYNOPSIS: An anthology of linked shorts detailing a snapshot of the lives of several groups of people staying in the same Singapore hotel room throughout the twentieth century and beyond.