Room 8 (2013) User Reviews (9)

just wow!

[mertesetar · 9/10 · 30 November 2018]

That was short but impressive. Really good job!

("Sorry, your review is too short." thats what im getting as an error :D So im gonna talk non sense cause of my english... or not? nvm now its long enough to submit :D Anyway have a nice day every1.)

Wow I've Finally Seen An Award Winning Short Film

[Theo Robertson · 8/10 · 4 March 2014]

An Englishman finds himself in a Russian jail and is put in to a cell with another Englishman . The new arrival sees a red box on a bed and when he goes to touch it his cellmate warns him to leave it alone

One of the problems with watching a ton of short films is that the vast majority of them are totally obscure . They never become subject to marketing and remain totally undiscovered with only a small handful of people getting to see them , usually on youtube or vimeo which is sad because all short films are labours of love often made by talented people who never go on to bigger and better things . ROOM 8 is slightly different in that it has picked up a prestigious award in the shape of a BAFTA but even then it's probably not going to be seen by many people

This is a great pity because this is a very memorable short film . It's somewhat minimalist and merely revolves around two men in a room but then it turns in to something entirely different featuring surrealism and meta-physics . Thankfully the effects are CGI free and involve more in the lost art of trick photography . The story itself is constructed along the lines of a sketch except the payoff /punchline means you don't feel like laughing at the end but all this means ROOM 8 is one of the best short movies I've seen recently

Convinces in the concept and delivers a nicely dark conclusion

[bob the moo · 22 February 2014]

Despite having won the BAFTA a few days before I watched this, I tried to come to this film with an open mind, equally happy to find it be award-worthy or not to be but just to take it on its own terms. The plot sees a British prisoner in a Russian jail put into a cell with another British prisoner. In the cell he finds a red box which the other man warns him not to open. In the light of the BAFTA win I should also say that after seeing this film I read the only other user comment on this site I was really surprised that it seemed to suggest that this film was all about the CGI effects, and I must say I totally disagree.

To me the CGI support a nice concept which goes very quickly to a satisfyingly dark ending. The effects are good for sure, but they are never the whole deal and in fact never feel like more than a support to the idea. The delivery is nicely convincing and the fantastical nature of the box never gets away from the grim reality of the prison. The direction keeps it here while also proposing this idea in a way that makes sense but yet is not real. The performances from Cullen and Gould help keep it real and I liked the coldness of Gould in particular.

Whether or not it deserved to win the BAFTA I cannot say as I have not seen the other contenders, but for me it uses the effects well to support the concept that keeps us in the cell, with the characters and then delivers a dark and satisfying conclusion.

Interesting idea and execution

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 11 February 2016]

"Room 8" is a British/Polish 7-minute short film from 3 years ago that won a BAFTA. It was written and directed by James W. Griffiths and he wrote the script together with Geoffrey Fletcher, Academy Award winner for "Precious". There is some Polish, I think, in this little movie, but it's not really necessary to understand what is going on. Or is it really possible to understand what is going on? Why didn't the prisoner think of the fact that even if he climbs out of it, he will not be able to leave the prison. He is just a smaller character human in a much bigger prison. I think this short film may have needed some more elaboration, for example who is the other guy and what exactly is he doing in there or why is he doing it. Nonetheless this was a fairly interesting watch I must say and certainly a pretty creative idea. I recommend checking it out. Thumbs up.

Effective

[leonardonolan13755 · 6/10 · 21 October 2017]

Room 8 Have A Very Genius Story Line . Prisoner Found A Box In His Ward When He Open That We See Another Dimensions Of His Room . Its More Like The Humans Want Their Freedom At Any Cost No Matters What Happened After Or What Is Our Consequences & We Not Satisfied With What We Have & Always We Want More . Like When Some Elder Guy Say To Us Don,t Do That And We Do & Regret About It . Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel Said If You Want Your Freedom You Should Leave Your Captives Life At Any Price Some One Happy About It And Some One Face Withe Their Consequences.

Mystery meets Prison Drama.

[logicproreviews · 6/10 · 29 January 2019]

A prisoner is locked up in a Soviet prison, a grim setting from the start. Very good cinematography - the sense of claustrophobia is palpable. We're then offered a genre flip when the prisoner is tempted by another to touch a red wooden box.

Well, I won't give any spoilers away but you won't be disappointed!

This is a good solid and original short. The intrigue works well and builds to a good conclusion.

6/10

CGI yes!

[riverwildeuk · 5/10 · 16 January 2014]

I would not class ROOM 8 as a short but more a sketch. On finding this film on Short of the Week I learnt that it was part of a competition in 2012 where five films were based on the same script by Geoffrey Fletcher himself. Of the five only two were interesting ROOM 8 and THE MRS. As THE MRS. has no IMDb page, I can only really comment on Room 8. As I said earlier, Room 8 is more of a sketch then it is a short film because it has no real story but a demonstration of how to achieve good CGI effects on a generous short film budget. (By the way, I am still puzzled where the budget was spent on THE MRS.) Where The Mrs. has a clear story with an imagined back story of two interesting characters; Room 8 does not invite us to invest any emotion in the characters or story. All the while we are led towards an awesome revelation; an awesome effect. And all the while I was asking but why is this happening? Why is the antagonist doing what he is doing? Once again based on pure production value, under so called short is paraded as being good but alas so called curators and decision makers are handicapping filmmakers and writers by celebrating the spectacle instead of celebrating the need for story. I am sure possible readers of this review and other reviews by me will say that I am expecting too much but my response to them is WHY NOT? If I am to give up 7 minutes or more to watch something, I would like for it to be awesome on the whole.

a parable

[Kirpianuscus · 21 October 2017]

or an Arabian fairy tale about magic boxes and illusion price. impressive for story more than for CGI. seductive for atmosphere and for the desire who seems so normal. it is one of the most inspired films about essence of dictatorship. about freedom in Gulag. or about the clash against the dark reality. after its end remains the powerful feeling of fascination. the story is not exactly original. you know it from many mystery/fantastic stories . but the impression is the same. a box. red. and a lot of box of matches. that is all.

Great

[0U · 25 February 2020]

Room 8, a short film written and directed by James W. Griffiths, takes place in a Russian prison. British prisoner Ives (Tom Cullen) is taken to a new cell, where he meets the mysterious Shears (Michael Gould). In the cell, Ives finds a red box, which piques his interest. Unable to fight his curiosity, he opens the box, and is shocked at what he finds.

Watch the short to find out what's inside the box...