Taking refuge in a shabby Brooklyn motel after narrowly surviving a failed mission in Eastern Europe, Black Ops soldier Malcolm Gray begins to disintegrate mentally as he broods over the legacy of his actions in this taut psychological thriller. Haunted by his demons while holed up in his room, Malcolm ponders the ascent of his brother, an ambitious senator with designs on the presidency.
Acting
Elba's physical disintegration in a single room is masterful.
Production
Motel set becomes increasingly surreal nightmare space.
Direction
Eromose makes 93 minutes in one room feel infinite.
Director
Eromose
Idris Elba
Malcolm Gray
William Hope
Mark Star
Eamonn Walker
Darnell Gray Jr.
Monique Gabriela Curnen
Valentina Gray
Richard Brake
Scott O'Keefe
Lara Pulver
Diane Shaw
Clarke Peters
Ola Adenuga
Julian Wadham
Gregor Salenko
Gerald Kyd
Gustavo Helguerra
Mem Ferda
Andriy
Niall Greig Fulton
Vladimir
John Kazek
Dimitri
Annette Badland
Stephanie Gumpel
Joe Holt
Ronny Tarbuck
Deobia Oparei
Roy Clogham
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Eromose is Idris Elba's birth name; this was his directorial debut, shot in 12 days on a shoestring budget.
The single-location structure deliberately mirrors Malcolm's psychological trap—he literally cannot leave his own choices behind.
GB
