Paul (Peter Outerbridge) was closing down his bar one snowy Canadian night when he gets quite the surprise in The Oak Room. A masked stranger enters in from the cold, near blizzard, outside. Before Paul gets a chance to bash his head in for causing trouble, Steve (RJ Mitte) takes off the mask. That leads to Paul wanting to still bash his head in, but for different reasons. Turns out Steve and Paul have quite a bit of history. History that doesn’t end well.
Steve used to work for Paul and then disappeared one day, well disappeared in Paul’s eyes, went to school in Steve’s. His educational stint was short-lived, and Steve has been drifting ever since. Paul was close with Steve’s father Gordon (Nicholas Campbell). Gordon died worrying about Steve, who didn’t even make it to the funeral. Which in Paul’s eye was unforgivable.
Calahan adds some great camera angels and shots – slow pans, zooms, and interesting framing – that help add dread. There is an ominous feeling that I couldn’t seem to shake. The music and use of lighting help to perpetuate that ominous atmosphere. As Steve continues his story, it only intensifies. The Oak Room is a mystery/thriller at its core and almost the entirety of the film is centered around buildup. Unfortunately, the payoff is not worth the wait, making the film ultimately fall flat. It is worth a watch, but not one that you’ll feel the need to come back to.