The Room Returns! — Review
Brando Crawford’s The Room Returns! is a fascinating cinematic exercise. It’s a remake of Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 film The Room, but it was shot in one day, entirely in front of a green screen, with virtually no budget and no rehearsals. The cast, which includes big-name actors such as Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Nobody), Bella Heathcote (The Neon Demon, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women), and Kate Siegel (Hush, The Life of Chuck), worked on the film for free, with all proceeds going to charity. I gained even more respect for the talent involved, not just because it’s for charity, but because taking on a project like this demonstrates their passion for their craft.
The Room Returns! is not a parody. It’s a loving tribute to The Room, and the actors are doing their best with Wiseau’s screenplay. Bob Odenkirk brings subtlety and introspection to the role of Johnny, toning down the theatricality. Bella Heathcote is spectacular as Lisa. Her serious delivery sheds light on just how perplexing and cold the character truly is. Kate Siegel is an unexpected casting choice for Lisa’s mother, Claudette, but she nails it. Some of her lines, which felt baffling and absurd in the original film, now feel more grounded in emotion. Yet, she also has great comedic timing and generates quite a few laughs. Director Brando Crawford is also wonderful in the role of Mark. He doesn’t try to mimic Greg Sestero’s performance, but instead approaches the character with sincerity and restraint, playing him less as a melodramatic best friend and more as a conflicted man caught in a situation he can’t quite comprehend.
The Room Returns! feels like an experiment to see if these experienced actors can make this material work. And honestly, it still doesn’t. But it’s intriguing to watch and as funny as one would expect. The humor lands in different ways than it did in The Room. The lines that made me laugh the hardest in Wiseau’s film aren’t as funny here, but there are moments in The Room Returns! that had me laughing at lines I never even noticed before. Much like The Room, this film is probably a lot of fun to see with a crowd. So if you have the opportunity to see it in a theater, or at the very least with a group of friends, I highly recommend doing so.
Brando Crawford is also the creator of Acting for a Cause, producing live reads of classic plays and screenplays for charity, and that’s essentially what The Room Returns! feels like, because it’s a group of actors paying tribute to a film for charity. However, instead of sitting and reading from scripts, the actors are acting out the material, and the use of green screens and establishing shots makes it feel more cinematic. It’s fascinating to witness a different group of actors perform this script and observe how they interpret the material in subtle ways that deviate from the original film. Lines that were shouted in The Room may be more subdued here, while lines that initially felt inconsequential seem to hold more weight in this rendition. It’s also hilarious watching the actors try their best to play it straight and fight the urge to break character and burst out laughing.
Not only is The Room Returns! a love letter to Tommy Wiseau’s The Room, but it’s also a love letter to the art of acting. At a time when some people genuinely want to replace actors with artificial intelligence, this film is proof that there’s a humanity that goes into performing that no computer can quite replicate. Each actor brings their own sensibilities to their roles and interprets the material as they see fit, rather than simply copying the performances in Wiseau’s film.
Just like The Room, The Room Returns! is destined to become a cult classic. Midnight screenings of The Room are an absolute blast, with audiences shouting certain phrases during iconic moments, quoting along with the film, and throwing spoons at the screen. As someone who has attended multiple midnight screenings of The Room, I strongly believe that similar screenings of The Room Returns! will create that same magic while providing some variety and a welcome change of pace. In the end, The Room Returns! is a hilariously awkward celebration of Tommy Wiseau’s The Room and a compelling experimental acting exercise.
For updates about future screenings of The Room Returns!, follow Brando Crawford on Instagram and check out Acting for a Cause.
