Room 237

Room 237 is currently streaming in the US on Philo and AMC Plus Apple TV Channel , and it treats its subject with more rigour than the format usually demands. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Bill Blakemore's involvement signals a level of cooperation that is hard to secure. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Philo.

Room 237 arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Room 237 resists the urge to oversimplify a subject that deserves better. A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments. Bill Blakemore and Geoffrey Cocks lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2012. What elevates Room 237 above most documentary work is a refusal to settle for the easy version of the story. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Anyone after documentary work that genuinely informs rather than confirms will value Room 237. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Bill Blakemore's involvement signals a level of access and cooperation that is hard to secure. The kind of documentary that makes you feel informed rather than manipulated.