There are films that survive by the commitment of their lead actor. The Front Room, for better or worse, desperately wants to be one of them. Max and Sam Eggers (first-time directors and the brother of The Northman’s Robert Eggers) make a brilliant choice centering their debut around Kathryn Hunter, a venerated stage actress who takes the term “transformation” to improbable heights. As Solange, an aging Southern scion with a savior complex, she’s the obvious star of The Front Room — but her talents here aren’t a highlight so much as the film’s only saving grace.
