Room (2015)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A mother and her young son, who have been held captive in a single room for years, must navigate the overwhelming reality of the outside world after their escape.
The story
In Akron, Ohio, 24-year-old Joy Newsome and her five-year-old son Jack live in a squalid shed they call "Room." They have been held captive for years, and Jack was born in captivity. Joy has raised him to believe that only the room and its contents are real, while the rest of the world exists only on television. When their captor, a man they call "Old Nick," becomes a threat to their safety, Joy must find a way to get Jack out. Their eventual escape forces the young boy to experience the outside world for the first time, leading to a harrowing transition into a new life.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Joy Newsome and her son Jack are held captive in a shed in Akron, Ohio, by a man named Old Nick. Joy has spent seven years in captivity, while Jack was born there and has never seen the outside world. Joy maintains a facade of normalcy for Jack, telling him the world outside is only on TV. After a confrontation with Old Nick, Joy orchestrates a plan for Jack to escape. He is eventually rescued by police after jumping from a truck, and both are taken to a hospital. Following their rescue, Joy is reunited with her mother, Nancy, and her new life begins. However, Jack struggles to adjust to the vastness of the world and initially wants to return to the 'safety' of the Room. Joy faces the trauma of her past while trying to help Jack acclimate. After a period of adjustment and a brief period of separation, they are reunited. Finally, they visit the Room one last time to say goodbye before moving forward into their new lives.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- Canada; Ireland; United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Lenny Abrahamson
- Writers
- Emma Donoghue · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Brie Larson · Joy Newsome; Jacob Tremblay · Jack; Joan Allen · Nancy; Sean Bridgers · Old Nick; William H. Macy · Old Nick; Tom McCamus · Leo
- Genres
- survival; psychological drama
- Themes
- trauma; mother-son relationship; freedom
- Tone and mood
- tense; harrowing; poignant
- Premise and plot tags
- survival; captivity; parenting
- Source material / true-story basis
- Novel by Emma Donoghue
- Content notes
- abuse
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for the performances of Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 86 · scale: 100 · review count: 43
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actress · Win; Academy Award · Best Picture · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Director · Nomination; BAFTA Award · Best Actress in a Leading Role · Win; Critics' Choice Movie Award · Best Actress · Win; Golden Globe Award · Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama · Win; Screen Actors Guild Award · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role · Win; Canadian Screen Award · Best Motion Picture · Win; Canadian Screen Award · Best Direction · Win; Canadian Screen Award · Best Actor in a Leading Role · Win; Irish Film & Television Award · Best Film · Win
- Production trivia
- The set was designed to be removable to allow crew access.; Brie Larson researched trauma and nutrition for her role.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…