The Disaster Artist opens with tributes from the likes of Kristen Bell, J.J Abrams, and Danny McBride, to the infamous cult film The Room. That’s because at its core, the film as a biopic if it achieves anything, pays tribute.

Plus, at the real centre is Tommy Wiseau, the director, writer, lead actor, you name it, of The Room, so mysterious that James Franco nailing his portrayal must have been no easy task. The weird accent could have been enough (he apparently stuck to that throughout the whole production), but also as the director, Franco goes the extra mile to pay tribute to this sincerely awful cult film. 

Grounding all the craziness comes from Wiseau’s friendship with Greg Sestero, who in a genius touch is played by Franco’s real-life brother, Dave. That feels genius because even if the film doesn’t appear as bare-it-all as it could be, the brothers obviously have natural chemistry and that really shows through their acting.

As the scope widens towards the making of The Room and more characters come in, the film becomes somewhat less sincere. I say that because, also as the making of takes up less time than you’d think, The Disaster Artist ultimately has less going for it than a broad tribute.

Albeit, on the whole, despite not living up to its early pitch as Boogie Nights meets The Master, you’ll definitely have a blast, even more if you’ve watched The Room (and should if you haven’t!).