In Room for Rent, Shaye plays a lonely widow Joyce that decides to rent out a room in her house, in order to keep her house, and she subsequently becomes obsessed with a younger guest, Bob.
Her character is quite interesting, controlling, multilayered and complex. She is looking for a decent man, and the moment she thinks she has found the right one, she would kill anybody that stands in her way of contentment. She was married to a man for three decades who kept her captive.
Oliver Rayon stars as the mysterious Bob, Valeska Miller portrays Sarah, and Ryan Ochoa plays Wayne. Stuart Flack wrote a compelling script, and Tommy Stovall did a solid job with the horror film’s direction.
Throughout her illustrious career in acting and entertainment, Shaye is known as a “scream queen,” and rightfully so. Lin Shaye is a masterclass of acting, and Room for Rent proves that she is in a league of her own. Her acting is controlled and it runs the gamut.
The Verdict
Overall, Lin Shaye is sensational as Joyce in the thriller Room for Rent. She delves beyond the surface and brings her character to life. It has dark comedy, suspense, horror and mystery. She commands the screen and sustains the viewer’s attention for the entire duration of the film. It garners 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Room for Rent is available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Read More: Lin Shaye chatted with Digital Journal about the film and the digital transformation of the entertainment industry.
