CORNER OFFICE Ending Explained

[@GolDDarius]

This is a great example as to why you can't always go with the initial reviews. I'd easily give it a 8/10

[@DurvalLacerda]

As someone who suffers from Depersonalization and Schizoid disorder, this movie hit me in the most unexpected way possible. Whoever wrote it, knows how it feels to live trapped inside your own mind, where it becomes your only safe space in which you can finally be your real self (emotionally and intellectually).

[@lukeGGlee]

Love these surreal types of movies. I was really rooting for him hoping that the room was actually real and everybody would be astonished at his disappearance

[@lenmatt1]

I think this movie covers so many issues. Mainly those associated with the office. But also the reality of those who suffer with, depression, authism, the misunderstood and those longing for quiet. Life is so full of noise.

[@njt002]

My daughter has autism. This character reminded me of her. Her reality is very different than our reality.

[@jarkinmalarkin]

What do you mean by our reality?

[@Sileonex123]

Obviously she meant what we experiences isn't and wouldn't be the same thing or explanation as her daughter would have or give from the same experience

[@winwinmilieudefensie7757]

The voice over is inner monologue its how people like him in reality are actually analyzing everything around them in real life ( some of them i guess ) i do 😂

[@rods7746]

when I was young I liked to imagine every time I opened the freezer that someone from antartica was on the other side giving me all the ice cream I had there

[@WhytheBookWins]

That's so cute haha I love it ☺️

[@kobayashimaru8114]

This is the first good review I've seen. Not just because it's a positive review but you actually had something to say about the movie. All of the other reviews I've watched spent just a few minutes regurgitating the same criticism that it lacks catchy dialogue, dramatic sub-plots, etc... Talk about conformity ;) I enjoyed the movie. Not on my top 10 list or anything but a solid film. I was confused by the lobby scene too. I think it's the only instance in which we see Orson lose time "outside" of the room. Was he standing there the whole time? I presume his character does this outside of the office as well but I think this scene was added merely to reinforce his psychological state.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Thank you so much!! Other commenters said the lobby scene could be an example of Orson having time blindness, which is something people with autism sometimes have.

[@BanShogo]

Another very important lesson to be learned here is that you don't expose your secret (as in the movie he says to the receptionist, he got a secret), until the person who you'd like to be intimate with expose their secret first, especially when your "secret" is very hard to be accepted.

[@Malthizar]

I don't think that's what you're supposed to walk away thinking lol. I think the takeaway is to seek help if you're experiencing a radically different reality from others. If you're seeing a dog that doesn't exist or a mysterious person is asking you to wear some "new clothes" that only you can see, maybe realize that you have mental issues and that you should see a professional

[@BanShogo]

@@Malthizar you basically are like the sheep workers in that movie, cookie cutter, no originality, what you said is already said on this video.

[@artemis3831]

​@@BanShogo Nice trollin, almost fell for it. Calling ppl sheep, roflmao, it's overused by morons who believe FOX news grants them acute critical thinking abilities.

[@jsmith434w]

exactly this. the guy is gifted, but misunderstood by people who can never and will never see the room. that space where an otherwise ordinary man, maybe an inferior man, can achieve great things by "finding their process". that room represents his process. you have to find yours. his success was undeniable, but he will never be understood, because at the end of the day, self-preservation is how average people advance. and talented people are a threat to them, and also a mystery. @@BanShogo

[@kobayashimaru8114]

LOL I wouldn't say that but I see where you're coming from. From that angle, I would agree he shouldn't have exposed his secret so easily. But it's not about waiting for the other person to expose their own secret first otherwise no one would open up to each other. It's about getting to know someone well enough to trust that they'll accept you. Having said that, Orson thought the room was real and no biggie. He didn't understand that he was revealing a psychological condition to Alyssa.

[@paulallenk4830]

Went in knowing nothing about this movie other than Jon Hamm was the lead. First half kept thinking it reminded me of the Apple TV show "Severance" in it's look and feel of corporate life. Ending was great but a long slog getting there. Still, glad I watched. Enjoyed your review/recap. Helped filled in the parts I didn't understand.

[@WhytheBookWins]

I've heard a lot of people say it has Severance vibes! I'll need to watch that show now. And I'm glad you found the video helpful!

[@kentslocum]

I recently watched "Asteroid City," and was disappointed that I didn't enjoy it. It had big celebrities, beautiful visuals, and a famous director, and yet it left me wanting a refund. So I was rather nervous going into watching "Corner Office," which didn't have any actors or directors I recognized, nor any obviously stunning visuals. However, I ended up thoroughly enjoyed this film. So I guess the difference is relatability. In "Asteroid City," the characters (and meta-characters) seem to struggle with feeling meaningless and pointless. Despite the colorful visuals, the story is rather depressing. In "Corner Office," the main character finds meaning and purpose, despite the drab environment. I consider myself a pretty normal person, but the world is so crazy right now that I also find myself coping with reality by creating a fictional fantasy. The difference is that I don't stand in front of a wall; I just write my ideas down. For example, I worked at Disneyland for a while, and thus adopted their system of using twenty-four hour time. This made me realize that our time-keeping system is somewhat arbitrary, and made me dissatisfied with the status quo. Obviously, I can't change the way the world keeps track of time, so I instead wrote an essay on how timekeeping would work in an alternate reality of my own creation. Surprisingly, this proved quite cathartic, and I no longer felt bothered using the regular 12-hour system I grew up with. So in a way, I felt a lot of sympathy for the main character in "Corner Office", while also seeing him as a cautionary tale about taking inner realities too far.

[@WhytheBookWins]

I haven't seen Asteroid City yet, but tbh I haven't had much interest! Glad Corner Office didn't disappoint! And thanks for sharing! I don't write, but reading is definitely a form of escape for me.

[@hatingontruth9118]

I agree that Asteroid City wasn't very good. I'm a big Wes Anderson fan and I was surprised at how boring the charterers were in the film. I think Scarlett Johansson was a bad choice. Yet, the minor character played by Stever Carell was one of my favorite. As to your experiences with fantasy. I also create fantasy worlds to help relieve pressure from the crazy, disorganized real world. I'm using my "Walter Mitty" thoughts to write a novel. If your internal thoughts are strong enough you may also benefit from this practice and make some money. Give it a thought.

[@Malthizar]

With all due respect to others, your take is probably the healthiest I've read so far. You have every right to sympathize with the MC; even empathize. It's a problem when their eccentricities start becoming disruptive.

[@blackwaxfilms]

I just watched both movies on a very long flight. I could not finish Asteroid City as it was extremely dull. I found the Corner Office to be the extreme opposite; I ended up watching it twice on the plane.

[@txt5220]

Just finished watching it. I thought it was pretty good. I think too many people went in expecting everything to get wrapped up in a neat bow and have everything explained to them. I liked how it left stuff to interpretation.

[@jonfreeman9682]

Ending was perfect.

[@Mixedserpintine]

I screamed out lot “yes!” when you said the dance sequence reminded you of “I’m thinking of ending things” I THOUGHT THE SAME THING!!!

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah they were very similar! Glad I could validate that for you 😆

[@yendayo]

I didnt read the book. I assumed the story is trying to portray how persons with severe mental illness and narcissistic see the world around them. And these companies are hiring him for social quota requirement. The part about his impressive performance is just his delusion, when in reality the boss is just being nice to him. They are likely told not to try not to say mean things to him(like he is useless etc). Same for the part about being let go from his old job. The receptionist is just one of those nice and kind lady who is very good at being nice to anyone, hence getting hired as receptionist. But he just took it as she is into him. Despite finding him very difficult to work with(or just simply be around in the office), his workers can be seen a little worried about him at the end. And when he was yelling at them they just sit there let him. Like when you actually encounter such mental illness persons, you dont go yell back at them or attempt to reason with them. And with all the things that happened, at the end he just couldnt take it anymore and shut himself off. Possibly taken to mental hospital later, and being taken care of physically while his mind is still shut off in that room.

[@T3x45.m4d3]

Just finished the movie and I loved it the ending had me laughing when locked the door 😂

[@kobayashimaru8114]

😅 Wish I could lock the door on everyone sometimes

[@rhiannas1355]

We watched it almost to the end on vacation and really was tuned in and had to cheat to find out what happened! Will watch it again all the way through.

[@Azzaro-g6t]

I rather liked this film. I thought the ending might be Orson being escorted back to a cell in a mental unit or prison but i was wrong.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah I really liked the ending even though it's kind of sad.

[@zardozjones]

Great review - and a really great movie - reminded me a lot of similar escapism in Kumiko the treasure hunter another good one!

[@commonsense5709]

This movie is like a very slow paced Stephen King type movie or Twilight Zone without the horror or suspense. What doesn't make any sense is how he was able to perform outstanding work in the imaginary office space but he was just standing frozen towards a wall the whole time.

[@WhytheBookWins]

I think he would visualize it in the room, and when he came out is when he would actually write it up?

[@kentslocum]

I wondered about this, too. However, the movie is very surreal, and the passage of time was a very strong motif. I accepted it as one of the things that we, as viewers, would never quite know.

[@joshcapps7354]

The voice over is his inner monologue.

[@daveyp4804]

I was shocked to see how low the reviews for this film were when I was halfway through watching it. Most reviews I’ve seen somehow haven’t caught on that it’s about some sort of mental disorder, and the exploration of it in an office environment. I personally enjoyed it. I suffer from depression and possibly some sort of psychosis (haven’t gone to the gp about it but I should) so that might be why I understood it/liked it.

[@kyllew420]

Good breakdown just watched this morning and I liked this movie it was unique wish they’d make more movies like this instead of remakes reboots or sequels!

[@chumlife]

I laughed many times through the movie, cried for minutes at the end. I don't understand the negative reviews at all. If you actually take the time to feel the vibe and care about the characters instead of expecting to rush through it, it is a truly rewarding experience. We all need the room. It's good to see such movies that address human psychology.

[@jonfreeman9682]

Totally agree. It's a good character study on mental health and was never boring. The ending is perfect. Jon Hamm nailed the role.

[@Warrenbank1]

Just watched it inflight - blown away! Superb music too. Great casting and yes, Jon Hamm nailed it!!

[@enddaoccupation]

I just finished the movie, and i love it . Thank you. I will read the book

[@WhytheBookWins]

You're welcome and I'm glad you also enjoyed the movie 😊

[@pvlis]

The island on the other side of the sun in the picture is an image of the room, a summary of the story in a child's drawing. Its an expression of irony. Now, one might see that The Room is a retelling of Plato's cave in a modern context. The execs are the priests of the fire, and the room is the world outside of the cave.

[@ndutanotes4]

I think you're the only one in this comment section that really paid attention to this movie. Like you were actively asking important questions as the movie was happening.

[@pvlis]

@@ndutanotes4 I wish I could say that was true. I digested the ideas for a while after the film had ended when it donned on me.

[@sibukoyana3049]

just finished the movie and i see a lot of me in him and dont know how to feel, but i dont act out as he does i just think his actions (sometimes) also what genre is that? i'd love to dig deeper into it

[@pixelcount350]

He isn't acting out and neither are you.

[@xuxuang8574]

The genre is called "magical realism"

[@alpacamale2909]

The ending is really inconclusive, I thought they were going to notice something strange about his state, as if he was paused or impossible to move when he's in the room. I also agree with you that there's too much inner dialogue that could be explained in other ways. I watched this right after watching Under The Silver Lake so this didn't appear weird at all. The setting reminded me of Severance. Something that bothered me was the reaction of Alysse. Did she expect there to be a secret room that nobody sees? Jon Ham's Don Draper role in Mad Men fit perfect with the room and how they changed the suit to fit hm better and made him more attractive was a cool move by the director. I hope they someday adapt Understand by Ted Chiang into a movie.

[@WhytheBookWins]

When he said no one else sees it, maybe she thought he meant they are so busy and focused on with they don't pay attention to the world around them. So she really had thought there would be a room. I've never heard of Under the Silver Lake but now you've got me interested!

[@Malthizar]

I think Alysse didn't know _what_ she was going to find. If I were to guess, she probably initially thought it was some small hole or cubby. Then when she got there she likely figured it was more of his imagination. Like, he'd be able describe the room while he was in it. Instead he just immediately zoned out mid sentence and was unresponsive for 10 mins or so. Very freaky stuff

[@kobayashimaru8114]

The movie isn't meant to be a fantasy in which supernatural things occur. I get why people kind of expect that these days. The focus is not on plot but on what it's like to be someone like Orson.

[@mokyoworks2696]

My question is, if he technically "zones out" in the real world when he is "in" the room, how does he physically get actual work done?

[@WhytheBookWins]

That's a good question...

[@kobayashimaru8114]

Wondered that myself. Maybe he does it all in his head and puts it to paper later. Almost savant-like.

[@KarlMarxhaswifi]

In regards to the picture, could just be a depiction of Orson displaying the same type of frustration his coworkers have with his interaction with the room. For him, the woman is subjecting something that is not based in reality or what we see as reality. Yet his interaction with the room does the exact same thing. There’s definitely something there and probably has a few interpretations that have to do with human nature. A lot of us have a set of beliefs and feel like we’re the ones who have it all figured out or at the very least have these views that every should conform to. It’s ok to have a different grasp on reality, to a certain extent, and we all see things differently even though they might not be as drastic as seeing a room that is simply not there. As long as it has a positive effect on yourself and others then live and let live. Idk I’m just throwing ideas out there. I could be way off base.

[@WhytheBookWins]

That's an interesting idea about the picture, you make a good point. Thanks for commenting 😊

[@Malthizar]

I think context matters. If your coffee mug says "world's best dad" and mine says "the holocaust didn't happen", I think most people would rightfully have an issue with my mug over yours, even if technically both aren't factually accurate

[@RyeBreadMels]

I was on a cruise last week and this movie played on our tv one night. Me and my friends were eagerly watching to see what would happen and were ultimately disappointed in the ending. I can see the “point” of the film but just watching it with no context was not a great experience. I was really confused throughout the movie because there was a door behind the “room” and I thought it was going to turn out that there was some secret room that he wasn’t allowed to know about. Also the way some other characters referred to the room made it seem like they knew something about it that we didn’t when that wasn’t the case. After reconsidering I don’t think it was a bad film, just probably not for me

[@WhytheBookWins]

That's fair. I could see why some may have found it lacking.

[@dattaprasadgodbole]

I am from India and that influenced my viewing of it. While I'm not spiritual, I could see the parallels with meditation. Lots of gurus were considered crazy because they went into these trances, which ended in them going into the ultimate trance for eternity - Samadhi, where you meditate until you leave the 'mortal coil'.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Oh wow! Yeah that seems similar

[@adil0028]

Yeah no they were just batshit crazy 😂

[@dattaprasadgodbole]

@@adil0028 🤣🤣🤣

[@pixelcount350]

@@adil0028 No

[@nathanm4444]

​@@adil0028were they though? They found happiness after all... Are you sure there's nothing at the other side of the wall/door? I think you're judging too quickly.

[@dougfranckwolf]

I liked to movie overall. The voice over narration seemed like a studio note. "The audience will be too dumb to understand whats going on if we dont explain everything to them." (just like Blade Runner) I wish there was none at all. And my real complaint is I thought early on that the room was just in his head and so it became very predictable what was going to happen. Even if that was the ending they wanted to go with they could have made it more of a guessing game for a lot longer. Did the room exist? Does the boss know its there and is covering it up, etc.. Something other than the most obvious thing being what it turned out to be from the very start. But I really liked the acting, the editing, the lighting, etc All that top notch.

[@wslater199]

I thought the room was real and everybody else was crazy and where are those blueprints for the building? What is behind that wall

[@musiclover331]

Seems like he has a lot of neurodivergent traits that are turned up to the extremes. Time blindness, vivid day dreams, rumination, anti-social behavior, literal thinking, and more!

[@jooliagoolia9959]

I've always felt like it was a surreal world in corporate offices. Totally get not fitting in the to bs of military way of handling work and life.

[@winwinmilieudefensie7757]

I could really relate to the movie … the way normies dont get the movie its basicly how orsons colleagues are not getting him .. its also not a dissorder .. nor is he delusional… its art and abstract .. i found it very funny very touching and very relevant in this day and age

[@WhytheBookWins]

True, saying he has a disorder or is delusional is taking the story more literally than it may mean to be.

[@kentslocum]

The funny thing is, I didn't get "Asteroid City," and people called me weird. But I loved "Corner Office," and people are calling me weird again! Guess I'm just like Orson...

[@Malthizar]

Gotta disagree with you. It's one thing to have an internal safe space. It's quite another to mistake it for reality and be wholly unresponsive while in it. The fact that he 100% thought his colleagues were out to get him really shows that he was not in a healthy state of mind

[@makeyourlife8282]

Wish i could lock my self with others 😊

[@estebanlacrosse7847]

I like your review of the movie/book but damn I feel like I’m kinda like him in some aspects it bothers me knowing I can’t pick up on some social que that most people wouldn’t have a problem with that why I sympathize with the main character but also find it tragic how it ended I wish more people could understand the issues some people struggle with in life that seem simple to some but aren’t for others

[@jooliagoolia9959]

I go into mini movies in my mind when smoking 🌸, so I get it !

[@R__TT]

9/10 movie for me

[@hatingontruth9118]

This isn't spoken of in any of the reviews I've seen. Orson may have caused discomfort because of his extreme lack of social skills but, he never threatened anyone, he never physically attacked anyone, in his "mind" and narration he didn't plan on any physical or mental harm. As such he has a right to be as strange as he wants to be. He got the job done.

[@WhytheBookWins]

yeah I definitely think that is a point both book and movie are making. He is doing great work, yet they care too much about him being different they would rather have him gone.

[@Malthizar]

Standing catatonic in the hall isn't just "being weird". It's disruptive. He was asking to be "in the room" during work hours. This likely meant he'd be standing unresponsive in the hall for hours on end. Not only is this naturally disruptive (everyone's path to and from the toilet is altered simply for fear of knocking him over) but things get dicey if a client, shareholder, reporter, or any outside person comes to the company for any reason. There's also a danger aspect since, if there's a fire or robbery, or any attack, it's going to be impossible to get him out. I think people want to empathize with weirdoes without acknowledging just how problematic they are. The receptionist was literally at risk of being fired despite the fact that she did exactly what you said (left him alone to "be weird" without getting him gone)

[@hatingontruth9118]

@@Malthizar Your view brings up a lot of facts and other employees wouldn't want to deal with a guy standing catatonic in the hallway. Yet, I still have to point out he got things done and was headed in a good direction until he brought the room up again. Some managers may overlook that because of the productivity. Truth is I doubt that any cooperation would put up with it and he would be terminated. I just wanted to point out that he was harmless in the sense that in his fantasy world he didn't plan or imagine bringing harm on others. Unfortunately, I've worked with crazies that did think that way.

[@kobayashimaru8114]

@@Malthizar Good points and I agree with them. The challenge then is how do we manage these obstacles instead of passing the buck to someone else? For example, wheelchair accessibility wasn't always a thing and sometimes still isn't a thing. It's not perfect but it's trying to understand that matters.

[@Malthizar]

Just finished it. It's definitely a weird movie. I haven't seen any other reviews on it but I thought it was a great low-budget DTS film. Probably wouldn't have watched this in theaters I will say the plot is a bit too simplistic. So much so, that if you watched a trailer you kind of know who's "telling the truth" pretty much instantly. I was hoping we didn't get the ending we got and that he didn't go to the room at the end. Again, it was pretty much obvious what the truth was so getting the reveal just had you feeling bad for everyone involved. The acting was great from everyone but Hamm really showed his acting here. Kind of wish he got more work, even if it was a slightly different take on Don Draper. All in all, it's a very solid 6.5/10. I avoid using "7" and I think it's a bit too slow with not much pay off for anything higher. You're really watching this for the acting, which I will reiterate is pretty on point all the way around

[@anupamchatterjee7271]

Great insight

[@WhytheBookWins]

Thanks!

[@domainmusicandgaming]

Didn’t read the book. Watched the movie.. I thought the ending was going to be a twist..

[@onetwo-lc2tb]

I thought he was a mental patient at a hospital. He never goes home.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Hmm that's true. In the book I don't recall that we see his home life either...

[@Peakock-0]

My first watch I absolutely hated it. But in 2nd watch I took it as a comedy and liked it alot more

[@chrisfrombelgium946]

Very good movie!

[@nwsabir]

After 100 minutes of movie you need 28 minutes of explaining, this is really taking a toll on my inclination to like the movie.

[@WhytheBookWins]

You can use the timestamps to skip to sections of the video you are interested in

[@foodandnaturelover]

i don't know.... i really like this movie

[@deadwaitsoldiers]

The voiceover adds to the off-putting vibe for me. Good movie.

[@nwabisandlebe]

Calling listening to a book "reading" is hilarious to me 😂

[@WhytheBookWins]

I often do a mix of both reading and listening to books.

[@milestones140]

You are beautiful and so insightful

[@jaysunbrady]

You're skin is fantastic.

[@WhytheBookWins]

I do wear a bit of concealer 🤫

[@endicotto]

It was terrible

[@winwinmilieudefensie7757]

The real world feels like a monkey rock to me also that why use war like analogy to try to manage these weird neurotypical social rituals and illogical behaviours and ego and stuff like authority kissin the boss ass non direct communication etc etc is very tiring and you need some framework to help you manage these things … hence the room and once your honest or try to explain boom your gone or weird

[@WhytheBookWins]

thanks for sharing your experience! I like that this movie (and book) are helping to bring about these discussions.

[@Shiek.Yerbooty]

the voiceover is supposed to simulate the "chitter-chatter" in his head. this video could have been twenty minutes shorter; "Ending Explained" being the magic words.

[@davidfitzpatrick6535]

tbh it sounds like to me that Orson has moderately severe autism. my little foster brother has autism and would do that standing and not responding thing when he lived with us. Basically what it is is a way to deescalate the sensory stimuli. they do this to calm down when they're feeling overwhelmed and it actually doesn't help if u talk to them and is best to just leave them alone and they'll come out of it on their own. Yes it does look weird when u see it happen but honestly if that's how they calm themselves just let them be imo.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah after I recorded this I saw some people on letterboxd saying that they think he had autism and how the movie (and book) is about how society treats autistic people.

[@davidfitzpatrick6535]

@@WhytheBookWins Tbh its true though. We do treat autistic people like their "weird and have no value in society" which imo I think is because 30-40 years ago (at least here in Canada where the last disability institutions were shutdown in 1990) people with any disability were often told to just be institionilized.

[@lawlietriver8869]

The only gripe with that theory is that us autistic people are not delusional. Someone standing like that does not mean they think there is a room there that doesn't exist. He might be autistic and be schizophrenic at the same time though.

[@davidfitzpatrick6535]

@@lawlietriver8869 my apologies I didn't mean to imply Autistic people are delusional just that the people who are outside that sphere often think that autistic people are delusional because of their weird quirks.

[@winwinmilieudefensie7757]

@@WhytheBookWinsand other non neurotypical people too ..

[@swiberk]

Closing with "No Surprises" was sweet.

[@fijisi9511]

In the scene at reception with Alyssa after the Christmas party, Orson says ‘money isn’t everything’, referencing what they said to each other in the room, and I think Alyssa makes a face as if she recognised that phrase but she wasn’t sure where she’d heard it before. Found that interesting!

[@WhytheBookWins]

ohh, yeah that's a great detail

[@kobayashimaru8114]

I interpreted her reaction as mild confusion because she wasn't actually part of the exchange that took place in Orson's head.

[@joejohnson1915]

The every day grind and the monotony of it all it wear on you for sure. I think about that when I look back on my life and reflect. Mostly the big moments stand out and the rest is just fluff. My favorite character was the boss, and his struggle to handle Orsons behavior while obviously being able to relate with his own slim grip on reality. Show by how he started lo loose his cool when work was done amazingly by a ghost writer. I love a good strange movie, I’ll take “Corner Office” over “Fast and the furious 10” any day 🤘

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah true! I honestly didn't give him too much thought, but you make a good point

[@shpirreshalla2244]

Ye its really wasnt that good. It was ok. 5/10. I watched The entire movie but pretty anticlimactic.

[@jason200912]

His legs must be in so much pain standing the entire time whole thinking he's sitting down in the room. The other weird part is why the security guards weren't able to pull Jim while standing at the wall inside the room.

[@richmondacebo6083]

I felt sad. I wish some people relieved from this situation.

[@carmens3685]

I found it looking in the comedy section of a bunch of movies, and saw absolutely NO humor in this movie. I was, however, mezmorized throughout the entire thing. I first thought, "how does nobody know about that bomb office"? I thought THEY had the problem, then the discovery. The ending: The fact that he locked the door ... is he now in a state where he's unreachable, and forever gone? Tragic.

[@Bartycrouch]

We saw the movie yesterday at home and I found it a complete time waster. Don´t get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for the actors and cinematography. But the movie seemed empty everywhere. They could have played with the cameras better, add more emotion to peoples reaction, specially to him and the room. There are long parts of the movie without soundtrack which is a big no-no for me on a movie, just silence. They could have played with environmental noise as a distressful factor for him. I´ve noticed he seems better looking whilst in the room, more confident, his hair is not messy, they could have exaggerated this considering John Ham´s excellent body for a nice suit. Overall, what did we learn? The movie just tells a story of someone obsessed with an ideal room, he couldn´t describe anything inside the room, just the room as emotions (is great, is warm, is organized, is clear) but the movie drags a lot with the topic. What´s the evolution of the character? What´s the path ahead? Lessons learned? I don´t know, it was just boring. We have seen movies about addiction, obsession, mental health issues, better portrayed. Like a beautiful mind, Fight Club, Requiem for a Dream, Pi, The Whale.

[@missfrufrus]

I thought that in the end when he talked to the boss, and asked to work there, they could have built the room for him and recreated it as it was in his mind. It would have been interesting, but if something unreal, also ask a company to break the wall and build your own office haha. Obviously he had some genius or secret to work amazingly, that he could have achieved everything he wanted independently and not belonging to that company.

[@kobayashimaru8114]

That's how you're supposed to feel for his character =) I was hoping inside that the EVP would turn out to be someone just like him. He sees the room or, in other words, he sees Orson.

[@St4rTr3v1Ut10n]

I saw this movie on a flight, but i only got to the christmas party before it ended, and i was excited to see the conclusion. I eventually saw the end, and it did not live up to its premise. I think the "and it was all in his head" trope is so played out, Jon Hamm might as well have woken up in his bed, looked at the camera and said "i guess it was all a dream." It completely flipped my opinion of the movie. Now granted, if i was like 9 or 10 and my parents wanted to let me watch "an adult movie" with them and put this on, the ending would've blown my mind and I would've liked it. As "Baby's First Grown Up Movie," it's good, but as any kind of serious story, it's not smart enough to live up to its premise.

[@liamdude5722]

I interpreted Orson as having Autism for most of the movie

[@orange42]

Your review is spot on. I totally missed the time slip at reception. I thought he had made a special trip from his floor mid morning.

[@WhytheBookWins]

thank you!

[@winwinmilieudefensie7757]

Top down learners might relate when forces to learn bottum up also adhd gifted asd dyslexic people i think in Europe there are more ways for people like that to integrate especially nowadays when people are looking at autistic people for software development but at these places you still work for neurotypical people and there is almost zero insight and empathy in to what you need .. just a service layer of oh you need headphones or a quite room .. shit like that its very annoying

[@nima5398]

Great explaining Imma new sub.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Thank you!

[@xuxuang8574]

What's funny/depressing is that the fantasy he escapes to is just one where he has a nicer office and he's a bit more competent a worker.

[@efinden]

Sounds like he had autism or asbergers syndrome. My only question is how did he get his work done? If it wasn’t real and he just stood there he wouldn’t have gotten anything done.

[@loveshackty]

I think the picture represents his unwillingness to see other people’s realities just as they are unwilling to see his (the room)

[@blingbling2841]

I just watched this film and I was wondering (even though it is too early) if and how many people had analysed / discussed this film. Didn't exactly expect that there was a book behind it but I wiki'd the author up and headed over to youtube. I understand why people would say that there was too much voiceover and monologue at times, I agree some parts could've been left out more, and given a sense of contrast and offer a new meaning from the absence of it. But that didn't exactly happen at all. I mean it's fine, it's no deal breaker. Two things I'd like to share. 1. I thought there was a rather lack of BGM, except when he was approaching the room, I agree that there being almost no other scene with any BGM does add a lot more surrealism to the element of the room in the scenes. But then I felt like ah, at least this final confrontation at the office and that dance had some BGM. These three instances are basically all we have that shapes the story with the musical aspect in the film. First one with the room as it represents a sort of beckoning-like tune and with slightly different composition between the last two, one being the dance as it represents joy, and the last chase in the office with the guards representing chaos or excitement. 2. I found the aspect of intentionally leaving out the part about how the world looks like beyond the space of the company grounds quite fascinating. The most we see is the parking lot, and the scene leading up to the stairs with a view of the city shrouded mostly in a sort of surreal fog , including the endless floors of the towering office that looked as if it disappeared into the clouds and to the heavens or something. It is very Kafkaesque. Since I had no idea about the existence of a book I was still hoping until the end of the chase that this time he might actually disappear into the room. Because of how the building disappearing into the clouds and no physical presence of the EVP was ever confirmed , I continued to believe that perhaps all those visits to the room prior actually didn't happen BUT this time he had escaped the mortal coils and achieved some sort of nirvana of sorts. Plus Orson's self-image was very refined from start to finish and I wondered if in the spiritual sense of Buddhism this spiritual perfection was related somehow, as we are all capable of achieving godhood and nirvana, transforming into a Bodhisattva. I visualized there could be some connection with the room and the almost mythical proportion of the office building, and how the receptionist telling him that there were around 1600~ people in the office, but the building was way too big to have only 1600. All those pieces didn't quite match and so I imagined Orson would've disappeared into the room at the end, but with no further explanation or analysis from the external observer's point of view; a sort of midday point between surrealism, supernatural and fantasy. Alas that didn't happen. And so I thought I would've probably liked that more but this isn't too bad either. In his inner world he found something that no one else could in the story. Im a bit of a Lovecraft fan, and not too long ago I had come across one of his short stories titled Beyond the Wall of Sleep. A bit of a spoiler perhaps: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A patient has surreal dreams and narrates them to one of the doctors , though most of the part of the brief short story is basically other people looking at it with skepticism and just fantasies but in the end the patient has his final dream experience and the narrator, the doctor that is, tells how the stuff the patient spoke of about stellar war, and beings of light, flying through vast scapes of distances and fighting with demonic visages had some truth behind it as space observers looking at a certain star system far away in the sky saw a star burning brighter than usual for a while before dimming down. And the patient had shared several anecdotes that matched with the star in his dream travels. And so the story is basically trying to tell you that we are actually traveling across great distances, perhaps across unknown dimensions in our dreams, or in our mind as well. Orson escaping into the room at the end kind of evoked that kind of similar feeling from me and it made me imagine that he had actually escaped to a new dimension once and for all. To the normal outsider it would seem as he had gone completely catatonic in eternal stupor. Sorry for the long textwall. Just wanted to put it out there.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Thanks for commenting! I want to read more Lovecraft so I didn't read that last part. But you make such a good point about the building being in the clouds! That's a great interpretation

[@grathado28]

If you read the 48 laws of power his actions become immediately more understandable

[@WildGamerShiv]

This was the first movie I've seen in which I found the second act dull slow and really boring in comparison to its 1st and 3rd act I really enjoyed the movie in these parts it was really weird and quite funny at the same time... It was a character driven movie which I loved about it John Hamm stole the show this man nailed it...gave some American psycho vibes which I loved about it... ❤

[@jonfreeman9682]

The fun is the mystery as it unravels and we learn he has mental health issues. So the first half was a great mystery box and once we know the truth the second half is less compelling but still interesting as Jon Hamm does an amazing job. The ending is perfect. Another TV show like this is severance with a weird sci-fi concept.

[@xuxuang8574]

This film is very like Brasil. If you liked it, check out Brasil by Terry Gilliam.

[@ceasnov]

Honestly I wanted more voice-over. It felt calming and logical yet not cold.

[@swiberk]

Those giving this movie bad reviews should stick with *bubblegum like The Machine. *cohen Hamm such a great comedic actor. Loved some small parts of this movie, such as checking copier paper responsibility. Sarah Gadon's role was perfect. When Alyssa told him her name, she should have already known his name from the binder conversation.

[@c-LAW]

Love your review. I watched this movie twice. I'm glad I didn't look at IMDB or Rotten Maters before watching it.

[@fidasiddiqui1913]

I watched this movie because of Jon Hamm was in the lead and was disappointed. In reality, the room didn’t exist, and Orson was probably suffering from autism or severe mental health problems.

[@kentslocum]

That's definitely the literal interpretation. However, I enjoyed the film because there were so many layers to unpack.

[@pixelcount350]

No, It's a mind Palace. He created it without realizing it. Its clear this movie is a criticism on the corporate rat race and what it does to an individual. Here in this case he created a room for himself so that his mind can escape the stress. He might be autistic but he's not schizophrenia.

[@SuperSkandale]

I enjoyed this movie. 8 / 10 for me.

[@ritchxmusic]

Cool tattoo. I like the channel title, its quirky, caught my attention 🙂

[@WhytheBookWins]

Thanks! That was the intention 😁

[@AureWaxman]

I thought it was about accepting people different than us. The message is important, but I found it boring.

[@HATRED-]

i wanna know the song when they dancing i know i heard that before... someone tell me the name of the song?????

[@stprk]

Great review! The movie and the book reminds me Franz Kafka's work and I loved it. Thanks for the review.

[@nowayback7471]

I kinda tough this movie like a example of the pre-judgment that we all have in first impressions, like Orson says. And all the things we dont like of another persons, maybe can be the same or a bit different from the other perspective too. Nobody is trying to understand for real, to comprehend, to help. just confused fear droping to judge

[@CumJohn-f2k]

The room is a stand in for a substance people Back in the day maybe would take to create great pieces of work. Note time flying and him feeling crap without the room and constant yearning to go back to it. It's the missing puzzle piece that makes him at piece and feel comfortable.

[@dannythompson1948]

Welp, im hooked on your channel... :)

[@WhytheBookWins]

Awesome! 😁

[@Crossmike]

Truly a great film! Wonder if the book is worth a read even after seeing the movie.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Since you liked the movie I think the book is also worth reading!

[@FleccaRobinson]

Off topic; that shirt is dope af

[@WebSurfingIsMyPastime]

Very nice presentation

[@daas8638]

the drawing is perhaps her version of a ''room''