Check out Royston Picture Palace to find out why Lenny’s latest hit has little Room for improvement...

It’s fair to say that the critics were kind when Lenny Abrahamson’s Room was released last year.

Well, kind probably is quite strong enough. They raved, they drooled, they rolled over and let this movie tickle their collective tummy.

And you can see why – the Irish director regarded up until them as an indie ace who wasn’t afraid to tackle oddball subjects like the oddball pop biopic of sorts Frank suddenly stepped up to the big time.

The film helped itself to four Oscar nominations after opening to universal acclaim – it was up for best picture and best director with Brie Larson in the frame for best actress and a further chance of glory in the best adapted screenplay category.

And although Larson – who also won a Golden Globe for her work – was the only one to stroll away with a statuette at the end of the night, the film really made an impact.

So what’s it all about? The Room of the title is the enclosed space in which mum Larson and her young son – a stunning debut by Jacob Tremblay – live their lives.

For the little lad, the room is the only reality he has every known, but as he nears his fifth birthday mum decides to take a risk and see if she can engineer his freedom from their mysterious captor.

Although it’s a thriller of sorts it’s the emotional celebration of the bond between mother and son that really had people reaching for their hankies.

It’s showing at Royston’s Picture Palace tomorrow, Friday, night and on Saturday, at 7.30pm. To book tickets and find out what else is on the town’s community cinema calendar visit www.roystonpicturepalace.org.uk.

On the multiplex front, who knew that the world was crying out for a Snow White prequel?

That’s what we’ve got in The Huntsman: Winter’s War in which Charlize Theron and Emily Blunt play rival royals and Chris Hemsworth and Sara Jessica Chastain are warriors who can’t follow the order never to fall in love with each other.

Plenty of swirling capes and magical special effects help propel a slight story along.

In first-person action adventure Hardcore Henry a man must rescue his wife from a band of mercenaries in this unique first-person action movie. The entire movie is shot as if it were a first-person-shooter game, and its claimed to be one of the most immersive films ever made.

Also out is Midnight Special, in which a dad discovers his young son possesses extraordinary powers which put them both in danger. It’s a chase thriller with lots of sci-fi trimmings from indie ace Jeff Nichols, director of the acclaimed Mud.