The Room has been cited by some critics as one of the worst films ever made, and has been called "the Citizen Kane of bad movies." After a brief run in Los Angeles, the film went on to develop a cult following and continues to have midnight screenings around the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

While the film is rife with continuity errors and several other minor cinematic drawbacks, there are several plots, subplots and character details whose inconsistencies have often been pointed out by critics and audiences. The Portland Mercury has pointed out that a number of "plot threads are introduced, then instantly abandoned."