The Room Returns | Best of the Worst

“The Room Returns” (dir. Brando Crawrod, USA 2025) is a new version of Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 film “The Room,” screened in Poland as a premiere as part of the “Best of the Worst” series. Bob Odenkirk, known from “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad,” plays Johnny. The cast also includes Bella Heathcote, Kate Siegel, and Greg Sestero, the only actor from the original who returns in the new version, this time in a completely different role. The original “The Room” cost about $6 million, and filming took many months. Its peculiar dialogue, baffling character decisions, and scenes that entered pop culture made it a global phenomenon and a cult example of cinema “so bad it’s good.” The new film tells the same story but was made with virtually no budget, and the scenes were shot in less than 12 hours. The actors had no rehearsals, used teleprompters, and were tasked with playing Wiseau’s lines completely straight. The filmmakers do not parody the film or wink at the audience. The cast performs with full commitment and seriousness, and Bob Odenkirk tries to make each famous line sound believable. Executive producer Mike Flanagan, director of “Doctor Sleep” and “Oculus” and creator of “The Haunting of Hill House,” also appears on screen as Peter, a psychologist and friend of Johnny and Mark. The film was made as a charity project by Acting for a Cause. The screening will be preceded by a talk by Jakub Balcerzak, a speaker and moderator at DKF Politechnika. “Best of the Worst” presents a variety of B-movies, including: - old American sci-fi films with aliens and flying saucers hanging on strings, - 1980s action films with heroes in nylon tracksuits, - horror films with rubber monsters. What these productions have in common is low budgets, absurd dialogue, poor acting, illogical plots, and the commitment and passion of their creators. The festival has been running since 2015