Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Immaculate Room’ on Hulu, A Single-Location Thriller That Puts a Couple Through the Emotional Ringer

Lock two people in a room and some sparks are bound to fly. That’s certainly the case in Mukunda Michael Dewil’s The Immaculate Room, now streaming on Hulu. The film’s abstract concept is the kind of conversation starter that leads to fascinating revelations: what are you willing to endure for a big reward?

THE IMMACULATE ROOM: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: The rules are simple for Mikey (Emile Hirsch) and Kate (Kate Bosworth), a young couple given the challenge of a lifetime. If they can sustain for 50 days inside a white, featureless room without contacting the outside world, they’ll win $5 million. If only one of them can make it, the prize goes down to $1 million. They also get two “treats” for a small cash penalty if they need a little something to keep them going.

The challenge proceeds about as you’d expect, with each starting strong in a spirit of partnership while maintaining their own coping mechanisms. Mikey turns to philosophical rambling, while Kate turns to meditation and other affirmations. But all their steely strength proves no match for cabin fever and a few strange interventions, such as the mysterious appearance of a Chekovian-style gun, as their stay draws toward its close.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The film’s premise does feel a bit like a Black Mirror concept, although it goes light on the sci-fi elements of that series. Though it far trails them in quality, single-location thrillers like The Lighthouse and The One I Love come to mind here.

Performance Worth Watching: Any film that’s so literally a two-hander has to have some strong performances, and both leads deliver solid turns. It’s Emile Hirsch, though, who’s the most riveting to watch. He enters the room as the looser cannon and is predictably the first to go a little loopy. Hirsch’s performances have always had a bit of edge and verve to them, and it’s nice to see him get a chance to do something meaty again. (Lest anyone wonder why he’s not cast too frequently, a certain incident at Sundance years ago ought to explain a lot.)

Memorable Dialogue: At least as the film hits Hulu in November 2022, this line from Emile Hirsch’s Mikey as he discusses what to do with the prize money sure hits different: “I’m gonna smoke a fat blunt with Elon Musk as we take his little rocket ship deep into space.”

Sex and Skin: There’s a bit of skin around the room’s shower, including a bit of frisky foreplay between Mikey and Kate on their first day. But the film gets steamier in the third act with the arrival of Ashley Greene’s entirely unclothed Simone, who arrives when Mikey claims his second “treat” to power through the final stretch in the room. Hirsch essentially goes shirtless for the rest of the film after his partner insists he gives his shirt to their new arrival. (Mikey also has somewhat of a reverie imagining a threesome in the room, just one element of his increasing mania.)

Our Take: While there’s merit to keeping the characters and the nature of the room vague, Mukunda Michael Dewil takes it a bit too far. The Immaculate Room becomes about as nondescript and bland as its one setting. The film never really outgrows the staginess of its concept where small things like the fate of a bug that makes it into the room get blown out of proportion as proxies for simmering resentments. Though some clever filmmaking magic tricks keep it at least interesting to watch throughout, Dewil always leaves us wanting a little bit more. (Better than clamoring for escape, though.)

Our Call: SKIP IT. The Immaculate Room leaves us in a bit of an odd spot where we, like the characters, are also wondering what it’s all for. The promising concept goes underexplored and the payoff is ultimately unfulfilling. While it’s nice to see Hirsch and Bosworth getting an acting challenge, their efforts are not worth the watch alone.

Marshall Shaffer is a New York-based freelance film journalist. In addition to Decider, his work has also appeared on Slashfilm, Slant, Little White Lies and many other outlets. Some day soon, everyone will realize how right he is about Spring Breakers.