There are great films. There are good films. There are mediocre films. There are bad films. There are terrible films. There are films. Then there’s The Room. There is just something about this film that proves to make it one of the most sincere and unintentional masterpieces in cinema history. There is very little doubt that this is an awful film, bad beyond any coherent words. Then why is that I rewatch this film multiple times a year, where I have hosted entire viewing parties for this film. Why do my friends and I constantly reference this film on a daily basis? It is because The Room is one of the most unforgettable films ever made, and one that I probably adore more than most other traditionally “good” films.

This is not sarcasm – The Room is a great film. It isn’t a good film because that would imply some sort of traditional merit being awarded to this film. The Room is a deeply strange film – it has terrible performances, a laughable story, and dialogue that seems to have been written by a kindergarten class learning to read. The directing is beyond awful, and the film is just unbelievably bad beyond the shadow of a doubt. There is a reason why I keep contradicting myself here (also because I genuinely have been having an existential crisis for the last few years as to whether The Room is just a bad film, or a film so terrible, it goes full-circle and becomes a true masterpiece) – it is because The Room has something most other films do not – pure, unadulterated passion.

You can call The Room absolutely anything you want (and trust me, people have called it several things) – but you could not dare call it a film void of passion. Whatever Tommy Wiseau was trying to make here, you cannot deny that he put absolutely everything he could into making it. There was more heart and effort behind this film than nearly any other film I’ve seen – and if a bit more talent was involved, but the same amount of effort, The Room would not nearly be as reviled as it is. There is just something so absolutely pure about this film in its intentions – there are no hidden motives behind this film, and putting conspiracy theories as to who the creator of this film is and where he comes from and how he got the money aside, he just set out to make a passion project that may have just backfired because it was just a poorly-made film. But there is a difference between a poorly-made film, and a poorly-made film with a boatload of effort put into it. Like I said, if Wiseau was just a little bit more talented, The Room wouldn’t have been nearly this bad – but then again, if Wiseau had a bit more talent, The Room would’ve been absolutely forgotten and just an obscure film that faded away into nothing. The reputation this film has is owed solely to the fact that it is beyond awful, and it fully embraces how bad it is, and that is absolutely beautiful.

The Room is art. That also isn’t sarcasm. There is something so abstract and artistic about it. I feel like so many films follow such a similar pattern, the moment someone comes and makes something so garish and jarring, it is bound to ruffle a few feathers and result in a negative response. I wouldn’t consider Tommy Wiseau a great artist or even an artist to begin with (the jury is still out on whether or not he’s human), but I would consider him someone who had a vision, and to his credit, he achieved exactly what he wanted to achieve – the only problem is he didn’t get the reaction he was hoping for. I need to be perfectly honest, I defend this film in the same way a loving parent defends their toddler’s bizarre drawings, seeing them as the most beautiful things. When I look at The Room, I don’t see a bad film anymore – I see someone actually just making a film for the sake of making a film, without a single professional in the cast, and those who had experience had their involvement limited to very small jobs behind the camera. It feels like that amateur artwork that somehow goes all the way to the Museum of Modern Art – it is something so abstract, unexplainable and beautiful in its integrity to just be…something? I’m not sure what The Room is, and many may scoff at my blind adoration of this film. I have seen it more times than I can count, and I refuse to see a future where I don’t convince absolutely everyone I encounter to watch this film. If I end up being the sole reason this film remains with its reputation (which is turning into a very positive one), I will be beyond content. However, I know for a fact that I won’t fight this good fight by myself, because The Room has amassed an incredible cult following that will go with it to the ends of the Earth. In a landscape of dull films, The Room just dared to be different. It achieved what it wanted to achieve, and perhaps like all the great artworks that were seen as jarring, The Room may very well be seen as a seminal piece of art in the future, misunderstood by the masses but adored by the generations to come (although, that isn’t likely – this is a really bad film, and I say that as one of its most ardent supporters).

Now its time to actually explain why I love this film, rather than just defending it. First of all, how can you not be positively charmed by these performances? Tommy Wiseau may be the most egotistical, insane people to ever make a film, and his performance shows that The Room is nothing more than a vanity project – but what Wiseau has to be vain about is a mystery to me. He was (and remains) an enigmatic, non-existent figure before this film entered production, and since then he’s remained relatively on the down-low (even if he’s attempted to play off this film’s burgeoning cult following) – but his performance is just endlessly entertaining. His acting is just so excruciatingly awful, it is a joy to watch. His performance is made better by the fact that everyone else in this film is actually…not that bad. Greg Sestero is wooden and awkward, but we can attribute that to his career as a minor soap-opera performer. Carolyn Minnott is actually very good in this film, almost to the point where she almost makes this film bearable. It is a pity she was in this film, where she gave a performance far better than what was going on around her. However, to be honest, Juliette Danielle is actually pretty bad. I won’t defend her performance at all. It isn’t even entertaining. It is embarrassing, and Lisa is the worst villain since Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter. In fact, she’s worse.

The Room is a film that means a lot to me because it just has snuck its way into my life in a way that almost makes it a nostalgic experience. How can anyone who has seen this film not actively adopt some of this film’s memorable dialogue that is far too extensive to give adequate examples of? It is a quotable film that never fails to make me laugh. There are moments where I laughed so excessively, I almost found myself in the emergency room. Based on what my friends and people who I have encountered that love this film as well have said, that isn’t a rare occurrence. Can a film with such a dedicated following, and which has provided so much joy to people be truly considered that bad? I would argue that it actually deserves to be reconsidered – I have rarely seen a film with such a dedicated, adoring fan base. I love many films, but very few as much as The Room. Crucify me for my taste, but if you can’t understand why I (and countless others) adore this film, then maybe you need to just “leave your stupid comments in your pocket”

Watch The Room. It is far better than a lot of what is being put out there, especially films that try and capitalize on the idea of being intentionally awful. It is a film that leaves you in pain from laughter, and it honestly is far more entertaining than it should be. It is a deeply wonderful and endearing film that has a certain roguish charm, and Tommy Wiseau is an odd figure that deserves to be analyzed by everyone from film students to philosophers to scientists. However you may feel about The Room, you can’t deny that it is memorable, and has left an impact. If you don’t ever want to watch this film, that’s your choice. I’ll watch it enough times to compensate for everyone who refuses to. I just love it that much (I love it so much, that this is the second review I’ve written for it)