FOX Beat: Brie Larson stars in new thriller, Room

Actress Brie Larson is showing off a new side in a new drama inspired by a real-life horror story.

In the emotional thriller, Room, Larson plays mother to a 5-year-old boy, both of whom were kidnapped years earlier. The two are confined to a windowless room which Larson's character tries to make a 'normal' for her son while putting together the courage to make an escape.

"It took me seven months to kind of piece her altogether," Larson said about her character, Ma. To get into character, she said she stayed at home for about a month to get used to isolating herself.

Her preparation and meditation for the film brought back memories from her childhood. Larson said she was able to reflect and look at her childhood through her mother's eyes.

Humor, Larson said, was a big part of the filming process. The cast used humor to deal with the dark subject matter and to due to the presence of 8-year-old Jacob Tremblay. "There are certain things that you learn from playing a character - you start to see different sides of the world - and it is hard to shake some of the things," she said.

While she says shooting a film like Room opens her eyes to some of the darker sides of life, she also became aware of aspects that need more attention and nurturing.

Larson said she and the cast worked around their young co-star - shooting more difficult scenes after he had gone. And what was young Jacob's take on the film? "It's good, but it's no Avengers!"