The Room is a 2003 cult phenomenon, referred to by many as “The Citizen Kane of bad movies.” Directed, written, produced, and starring the enigmatic Tommy Wiseau, the film has gained a immense following based predominantly on midnight showings that often involve Q&As and public appearances from the director.

Entranced by the book, “The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside the Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made” by Greg Sestero, James Franco (127 Hours) decided the account deserved a film treatment.

The Disaster Artist tells the story of how Tommy (James Franco) met co-star Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) and ended up making one of the worst movies ever.

is hilarious, touching, and uplifting, featuring an incredible and sympathetic lead performance from Franco.

The story of The Disaster Artist is wonderful, especially watching the friendship grow between Tommy and Greg. The themes of conquering self-doubt and following your dreams make The Disaster Artist surprisingly uplifting. Also, the movie’s focus on The Room‘s production difficulties makes it one of the funniest movies of the year.

James Franco is phenomenal as the bizarre Tommy Wiseau. He perfectly re-creates the strange mannerisms and accent of Wiseau. His performance doesn’t feel like a parody. Franco is clearly invested and allows the audience to both laugh at Tommy and sympathize with him.

Dave Franco (21 Jump Street) does an serviceable job as Greg Sestero. He acts like himself, but he has great chemistry with his brother. Seth Rogen (Superbad) plays Sandy, a crew member on The Room.

One of the movie’s greatest attributes is its commitment to recreating scenes from The Room with meticulous detail. The awful cinematography and abnormal framing of shots are preserved, as well as the awkward dialogue and timing.

The Disaster Artist is one of the most entertaining movies of the year. Even with a superfluous opening scene and a rushed ending, the incredible performance and comedic timing from James Franco make this would-be parody a moving tribute to following your dreams, regardless of whether or not you’ve watched the original cult classic.

9/10