Red Rooms [2023]

[Junglist]

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt22207786/

If you've any concept of the Internet, or the Deep Web, you've probably heard of Red Rooms. This isn't about that, despite rhe title. Its a character study.

A criminal trial for 'The Demon of Rosemont', a brutal serial killer who massacred three young girls (16, 14, 13) in a supposed 'Red Room' for profit, live. Hence the titlle. But the film is not about him, it is about Kelly-Anne.

She is a model, professional poker player. A good life, beautiful apartment, money. However she attends the trial, every day. She sleeps as if she is homeless in the backstreets so she can queue to make the court.

Her motives, her reasoning is unknown. That is the film. It is her. The film does not let anything slide, or be known until the last thirty minutes where it dripfeeds her goals, her reality bit by bit.

Juliette Gariépy is mesmerising as the lead. She befriends Clementine, a groupie for the alleged killer. You don't know why. There is constantly something simmering under that surface. The horror, the barbarity is kept primarily off screen. You hear snippets of the 'Red Room' videos. A few seconds of video depicting the killer blood soaked. It is not horror, but it is horrific.

It ends with an answer, but leaves more questions thereafter. A clear study of the almost terminally online, desensitisation, human nature, curiosity, the death of emotion.

By far my film.of the year, it absolutely captivated me. A fantastic work and one I'll hold high for a long long time.

[Mister Six]

Ooh wow, good pitch!

[Mister Six]

Can't seem to find where to watch this in the US. Any idea?

[Junglist]

Can't seem to find where to watch this in the US. Any idea?

Ita not out until January here AFAIK, but if you wanna DM.

[Mister Six]

It's out in the US in January? If so, I'll see it theatrically; I thought it had been given some kind of limited American release and was in limbo while they figured out digital distribution.

[Junglist]

It's out in the US in January? If so, I'll see it theatrically; I thought it had been given some kind of limited American release and was in limbo while they figured out digital distribution.

I just know its January UK. No idea worldwide! Did the whole festival run and been put on digital platforms in France as far as I'm aware. I had to watch it via the high seas.

[Mister Six]

Looking about, I think Utopia has picked it up for distribution but doesn't have a date in the calendar yet. Hopefully it'll be before the end of January because that's when my Regal cinema subscription runs out.

[Junglist]

Bumping for REVIEWS and acknowledgement of the best film of the year thanks guys and gals

[Noodle Lizard]

I'll do one soon enough, but yes I thought it was very good and appreciate the early recommendation.

[Minami Minegishi]

Yes, as mentioned in the other 2023 thread, this is looking pretty solid as my film of the year.

I just adored the misanthropic tone of the film, the gallows humour, and the inscrutable protagonist.

The whole

Spoiler alert

dressing up as a murdered schoolgirl and the braces and wig, just to get his attention, was fascinating and disturbing. But I found myself laughing at the audacity of the choices, and then THAT look to camera and the soundtrack screams.

[close]

Just wonderful cinema.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I can't say I'd ever heard of Red Rooms being a thing before watching this, and wondered if they'd been invented by the writer, but I found this to be a fascinating character study and while it's not my favourite film of the year it'll easily be in the top 5.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I can't say I'd ever heard of Red Rooms being a thing before watching this, and wondered if they'd been invented by the writer, but I found this to be a fascinating character study

They're an urban legend, like snuff films.

But yeah the story itself (which doesn't amount to much) is pretty much a MacGuffin to explore the character and some nice visuals/atmosphere. Definitely one of my top 5 favourites of the year. I'll just leave my review from the other thread

Spoiler alert

I just watched Red Rooms and agree that it's really good so thanks for relentlessly nagging us to watch it Minami Minegishi. Reminded me of Kieslowski in places (particularly the intro). Interesting aspect ratio, 1.50:1, don't think I've ever seen that one before (although I guess technically it's just the same ratio as an open 35mm slide). It works, anyway and I'm sure was very carefully considered.

The bit mentioned was pretty out there, kind of Jam vibes a bit. A psychologist would have a field day with her character, so much about her behaviour to analyse and aside from the aforementioned end "gesture" it would seem to fit her character perfectly.

[close]

[paddy72]

Thought this was great, thanks for the steer! Loved the sense of detachment and weird stillness. Mesmerising performance from Juliette Gariépy.

Spoiler alert

What are the thoughts on her (obviously ambiguous) motivations and final gesture? To unequivocally prove the killer's guilt? Attain something of mythical status, with higher stakes than any poker game? Bring closure to or further devastate the victim's mother?

[close]

Probably one of my faves of the year.

[Minami Minegishi]

Thought this was great, thanks for the steer! Loved the sense of detachment and weird stillness. Mesmerising performance from Juliette Gariépy.

Spoiler alert

What are the thoughts on her (obviously ambiguous) motivations and final gesture? To unequivocally prove the killer's guilt? Attain something of mythical status, with higher stakes than any poker game? Bring closure to or further devastate the victim's mother?

[close]

Probably one of my faves of the year.

Yeah, I alluded to this in the other thread. Basically, it was the only thing I disliked about the film. It was too neat and seemed like the resolution to a completely different type of film. Like a Haneke film with a Ron Howard third act script. That's me being very picky though, because otherwise it's an enthralling and brilliant bit of cinema. Mesmerising.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Spoiler alert

Might not be the intention, but I saw it as being just another negative aspect of her personality. She wants to be the one who "solved the case". She's not doing it for the grieving family, she's doing it for herself so that she can feel important and help to rationalize to herself her previous actions.

[close]

[Minami Minegishi]

Spoiler alert

Might not be the intention, but I saw it as being just another negative aspect of her personality. She wants to be the one who "solved the case". She's not doing it for the grieving family, she's doing it for herself so that she can feel important and help to rationalize to herself her previous actions.

[close]

Now I see it completely differently, so thanks! It's just a thing I hate in films (softening the tone in the third act) so I think I am sensitive and irritable about it from the get-go, which is shit. But I think you are right - she is a complex character and her motivations are, therefore, complex.

[Noodle Lizard]

I think it's got a fair bit of Taxi Driver in it, not so much stylistically but certainly in its protagonist and narrative structure. If you think back on the film through that lens, it makes her actions towards the end a bit clearer (to me, anyway):

Spoiler alert

In the same way Travis Bickle unintentionally becomes a hero by taking down the brothel and liberating Iris, Kelly-Anne ends up doing the right thing here for reasons that have far more to do with her own complexes than any genuine empathy or sense of justice. It's a puzzle to solve, and she sees herself as more capable than any of the officials tasked to do so.

I did wonder at various points whether she might have a personal investment in the case - perhaps a former partner or victim of his who's certain of his guilt and wants to ensure he sees justice - but ultimately I don't think that would even be relevant to the story they're telling. Aside from being a very effective character study, I think it's primarily concerned with the contemporary trend of online sleuthing and true crime obsession. Indeed, the audience here are encouraged to start grinding their "whodunnit" (or "whydunnit") gears from the start, presenting the opening arguments of the central case in full and inviting us to begin our instinctive theorising. None of that effort will pay off, of course, since it's not what the film is actually about.

My wife spent the duration convinced that Kelly-Anne must have been involved in the murders or an accomplice in some way or other (maybe she ran the red room, maybe she used AI deepfaking to frame the bloke), and still refuses to fully accept that perhaps the truth of it is much more mundane. I think that's deliberate: the film knows its audience and their expectations very well, and is deliberately subverting them in service of its point.

[close]

Great film.