Opening

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Room 237 (2013)

tomatometer

93

Average Rating: 7.6/10
Reviews Counted: 120
Fresh: 112 | Rotten: 8

Mysterious and provocative, Room 237 is a fascinating journey into the world of obsessive cinephilles.

91

Average Rating: 7.4/10
Critic Reviews: 32
Fresh: 29 | Rotten: 3

Mysterious and provocative, Room 237 is a fascinating journey into the world of obsessive cinephilles.

audience

61

liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 9,019

My Rating

Movie Info

Many movies lend themselves to dramatic interpretations, but none as rich and far ranging as Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. In LA filmmaker Rodney Ascher's ROOM 237, we hear from people who have developed far-reaching theories and believe they have decoded the hidden symbols and messages buried in the late director's film. Carefully examining The Shining inside out, and forwards and backwards, ROOM 237 is equal parts captivating, provocative and pure pleasure. It gives voice to the fans and

Unrated,

Documentary, Television, Horror

Sep 24, 2013

$0.3M

IFC Films - Official Site External Icon

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All Critics (120) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (112) | Rotten (8) | DVD (3)

A curious and entertaining documentary.

June 12, 2013 Full Review Source: The New Republic
The New Republic
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The human brain is a marvellously suggestible organ.

May 10, 2013 Full Review Source: Toronto Star
Toronto Star
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[A] strange, frustrating, occasionally fascinating doc ...

May 10, 2013 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail
Globe and Mail
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"Room 237" evolves from an ode to movie love at its most delirious to a wry examination of the crackpot mind at work.

May 2, 2013 Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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There's enough real evidence supporting the theory that Kubrick was a genius, and that's pretty entertaining all by itself.

April 18, 2013 Full Review Source: Newsday
Newsday
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It's about the human need for stuff to make sense - especially overpowering emotional experiences - and the tendency for some people to take that sense-making to extremes.

April 18, 2013 Full Review Source: Boston Globe
Boston Globe
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Inelegant in the way it assembles all this stuff ... but anyone who's ever obsessed over the subtext of a beloved movie will find it amusing.

July 12, 2013 Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com
EricDSnider.com

An intellectual exercise, and an entertaining one, especially for those who don't want to label The Shining as just a ghost story.

May 31, 2013 Full Review Source: MLive.com
MLive.com

It has the same entertainment value as listening to a late-night radio host indulge his listeners on Roswell, Area 51 and 9/11. Everything sounds completely crackers, until it all makes crazy sense.

May 10, 2013 Full Review Source: Canada.com
Canada.com

What emerges from Room 237 is not a denigration of conspiracies, but a kind of celebration of our ability to create patterns where (perhaps) none exist.

May 9, 2013 Full Review Source: National Post
National Post

"Room 237" could become an essential companion piece to "The Shining" from now on. For those who see both, it will be impossible to think about one without the other.

May 3, 2013 Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner
San Francisco Examiner

...all about the work of criticism - finding fresh avenues of delight.

May 3, 2013 Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Watching it makes you feel like you're attending a really entertaining film class where your classmates confidently let their freak flags fly.

May 2, 2013 Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press
St. Paul Pioneer Press

It's an essay about the human need to reject the notion of a random universe and find order and meaning in existence. These people are developing their own creation myths, with Kubrick the mastermind responsible for the Intelligent Design.

April 30, 2013 Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

Termitic film nerds could chow down for years on the wood chips.

April 27, 2013 Full Review Source: East Bay Express
East Bay Express

You know when "Room 237″ starts getting really scary? When the people in the film start making sense.

April 25, 2013 Full Review Source: Capital Times (Madison, WI)
Capital Times (Madison, WI)

Kubrick fans and movie geeks will want to check this film out as soon as possible

April 24, 2013 Full Review Source: Old School Reviews

Kubrick fans will take 'Shining' to 'Room 237.'

April 21, 2013 Full Review Source: Boston Herald
Boston Herald

The credibility of these theories ranges from faintly plausible to frankly ridiculous, but Ascher isn't interested in judging them; his movie is more about the joys of deconstruction and the special kind of obsession that movies can inspire.

April 18, 2013 Full Review Source: Oregonian
Oregonian

Some of the interpretations seem more of a stretch than others but all are entertainingly presented by director Rodney Ascher. (The movie) serves as a testament to Stanley Kubrick's cinematic mastery.

April 15, 2013 Full Review Source: Movie Dearest
Movie Dearest

Audience Reviews for Room 237

A mesmerizing, geeked-out documentary on one of the best movies ever, Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining", and the many different interpretations by film nerds everywhere. Whether it is exploring one person's view on how the movie is about how Kubrick faked the Apollo landing, how the film is really about the slaughter of Native Americans, or how it is about obsessing over the past, the film remains utterly arresting. Sure, some of the interpretations are utterly ridiculous and over-the-top, but even when they are, the cases they make are still entertaining nonetheless. If you have a love for "The Shining", or just Kubrick in general (he's my favorite director of all-time), you will really dig this movie.
September 26, 2013
Dan Schultz

Super Reviewer

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September 23, 2013
Directors Cat
Directors Cat

Super Reviewer

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Latest News on Room 237

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This week at the movies, we've got real American heroes (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, starring Dwayne "The...
March 28, 2013:
How Accurate Is Room 237?
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