Room 203 is a 2022 American horror film directed by Ben Jagger, starring Francesca Xuereb and Viktoria Vinyarska, which centers on two best friends, who have recently moved in together as roommates, and realize that their new apartment is haunted by murderous spirits.
[2][3] When lifelong best friends Kim and Izzy move into a newly rented Gothic-style apartment, excited to begin a new and independent life away from home, and forget about a tragic incident that had interrupted their friendship.
With the aid of her new boyfriend Ian, Kim investigates and discovers a terrible curse linked with the Morrigu, an ancient goddess of vengeance, that may doom Izzy to a fate worse than death.
[4] Kim is a young woman about to start college and has decided to move into a newly rented apartment with her best friend, Izzy.
Kim’s parents, however, are not at all supportive of this idea, owing to Izzy’s reputation as a troubled young woman whose mother died due to a drug overdose.
Soon after, they encounter Ronan, the landlord of the building who gives them a tour and warns them about two crucial tenant rules: do not damage the elaborate stained-glass window in their apartment, and stay out of the basement.
Kim decides to write a paper in her course on Izzy's fraught family life, but doesn't ask permission from her before doing so.
Together, they read up on the internet about a bank manager named Liam McNally who, with his wife Karen, previously lived in the same apartment: Room 203.
Kim then identifies the eyewitness who discovered Liam and Karen's bodies: a janitor named Milton Briggs.
As Kim and Izzy exit the building, behind them, in Room 203, the figure of the Morrigu appears amid the shattered stained-glass.
Development and production of Room 203 took place in 2020, with the film shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, during fall 2020 under COVID-19 safety protocols.
[3] In October 2021, Vertical Entertainment acquired distribution rights for a limited theatrical, home-video, and video on demand release for the United States.
[17] The film also received theatrical releases in the United Arab Emirates,[18] Saudi Arabia,[19] Egypt,[20] Jordan,[21] Latvia,[22] Malaysia,[23] and Bangladesh.
"[28] Steve Hutchinson of Tales of Terror highlighted the lead performances of Xuereb and Vinyarska, while describing the film as "a drama sprinkled with horror... a sad and melancholic story, and when it’s scary, it’s terrifying.
"[29] Nathaniel Muir of AIPT Comics noted "the most prevalent theme is one of friendship... there is a genuineness not often seen in haunted house movies" and said Xuereb and Vinyarska's acting "carries the film.
"[31] Keri O'Shea of Warped Perspective identified Room 203 as being "more interested in relationship-building than generic scares" and summarized the film as "a well-made, often thoughtful, muted take on the [horror] genre.
"[33] In a negative review, Owen Gleiberman of Variety critiqued the film as spending too much time focusing on the real world and lacking sufficient scares.