We read about people who have been held captive for many years and are miraculously found. How they adjust to normal life post their ordeal and the trauma they go through is portrayed in this film which hits you hard.

A mother and son, played eloquently by Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, are in a room with just a skylight for a connection with the heavens and make do with their imagination to live out a horrifying existence. How they escape and integrate with their family and the world, is shown in this nuanced and depressing film.

It leaves us with hope, but not before delving into how much one human being can damage an other, possibly scarring them for life, making them question their very sanity. Enlightening but not entertaining.

2.5/5