User reviews

"Red Rooms," the 2023 Canadian thriller, grips you from the first frame and doesn't let go until the final credits roll. The plot weaves a web of suspense and obsession around the high-profile trial of Ludovic Chevalier, a notorious serial killer. What sets this film apart is its brilliant direction, which skillfully navigates the fine line between horror and psychological thriller. The tension builds relentlessly, leaving you on the edge of your seat, eager to uncover the dark secrets that lie beneath the surface. The cinematography is hauntingly beautiful, capturing the eerie atmosphere of the story while maintaining a visceral connection to the characters' emotions.

At the heart of "Red Rooms" lies a captivating exploration into the psyche of Kelly-Anne, a character whose obsession with the case blurs the boundaries between reality and her own morbid fantasies. This journey delves deep into the mind of a serial killer groupie, a character study that is as disturbing as it is engrossing. The film doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable truths of human fascination with the macabre, painting a raw and unflinching portrait of a woman who becomes entangled in a sinister quest for the missing video of a murdered 13-year-old girl. The performances are nothing short of exceptional, with the lead actress delivering a tour de force performance that brings Kelly-Anne's complex character to life with haunting authenticity. "Red Rooms" is a fantastic entry in psychological thrillers genre, offering a chilling yet thought-provoking experience that will linger long after the credits have rolled.

Greetings again from the darkness. Many of us (perhaps too many) are drawn to the dark side - topics that dig into the ugly side of human nature that Mr. Rogers mostly avoided in his neighborhood. A quick look at the popularity of true crime shows provides proof of the fascination that corresponds to those who don't subscribe to the golden rule. Writer-director Pascal Plante has a track record of film festival success and his latest fits the mold - fascinating to watch with a twist that may have viewers questioning their own assumptions.

Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe-Lokus) is a demented serial killer on trial for the murder of 3 teenage girls, ages 13, 14, and 16. He is facing multiple additional charges including sexual abuse, necrophilia, torture, etc. He used 'red rooms' to film these atrocious actions and then sold the recordings for profit. The opening statement from prosecutor Chedid (Natalie Tannous) stuns us with details of crimes, as well as informing us that 2 of the 3 tapes will be shown to the jury. Suspect Chevalier sits quietly in a glass cage as the court proceedings take place. However, the serial killer is not the most interesting character in this story. Seated in the gallery as close to Chevalier as possible is Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariepy) and Clementine (Laurie Babin). We learn that it's common for serial killers to have groupies ... not unlike rock stars, movie stars, and professional athletes.

Each day, Kelly-Anne and Clementine grab their courtroom seats and take in the show. The two form an unlikely and shaky friendship. See, Kelly-Anne is a model and high stakes online poker player. She has a sophisticated, AI voice-activated computer system in her high-rise apartment. In comparison, Clementine is a simple woman convinced that Chevalier is innocent because of his warm eyes. She feels a bond to him, and assumes Kelly-Anne shares this bond and belief.

Filmmaker Plante starts us off in a similar fashion to other courtroom dramas, however this one is also part dark web tutorial and psychological case study - not to mention a peek at cryptocurrency and hacking. Like Clementine, we assume we understand Kelly-Anne's motives, but there is an old saying about when we assume. As the story develops, it's the psychological aspects that hold our attention. Stone-faced Kelly-Anne only rarely offers cracks in her façade, and Plante manages to add tension to online poker and dark web auctions.

This was filmed in Montreal in French language, though we get only minimal shots of the city. Instead, much of the time is spent on close-ups of stoic Kelly-Anne and those eyes that are so difficult to interpret. Almost no gore is shown here outside of a single screen shot inside a red room, and the atrocities are wisely left to our imaginations. However, there is one quite disturbing sequence that finds Kelly-Anne in a specific costume for one day in court. I'll admit to having to Google Kelly-Anne's username to realize that 'Lady of Shallot' is a reference to a Tennyson poem. The end could be described as a twist (depending on your own previous assumptions), and yet also open-ended enough to generate plenty of analysis and debate. Pascal Plante has delivered quite a smart and complex character in Kelly-Anne.

Opened in select theaters on September 6, 2024.

I don't know what exactly I was expecting from this movie, but it wasn't what I got (in a good way). This movie really caught me off guard. It starts off with a fascinating 20 minute opening scene (possibly done in one take - I can't be sure on this, but it seemed like it in hindsight) that sets up the whole film and had me hooked right the go. From there, the next 2 hours went by about as quickly as they ever do while watching a film for me.

I've never seen a film hold its cards so close to its chest before. Often when films do this it is more frustrating than anything else. Here, it was captivating. I really had no idea what direction the film was ultimately going to go in.

There is some haunting imagery in this film but it doesn't come in the way you'd expect. Considering the extremely dark subject matter the film actually shows very little, if anything, in the way of torture or graphic horror. Instead the film gets under your skin with the lead character doing some things that need to be seen to be appreciated.

I can't recommend a film like this highly enough. It will have you gripped for 2 hours and then stick with you long after that. 9.5/10.

An interesting amalgam of character study and courtroom drama, two distant filmmaking styles that synchronically procreate this unique blend, which attempts to elaborate on the concepts of corruptive transgression.

I love how the protagonist was put in a position that could be questioned from a moral point of view but cannot be labeled as good or bad, as her desultory conscience, rather the decisions she makes, places her in a sheath of ambiguity.

Once the film ends and the credits start to roll, all you will be thinking about whether Kelly Anne stood for the right or for the wrong; did she give in and surrender to her deviant infatuation? Or did she finally experienced feelings of guilt and overcome her unhealthy obsession?

I adore it when movies leave questions for the audience to ponder on and "Red Rooms" left aplenty to think about.

I saw 23 films at CIFF & this was my top pick. So thoroughly detailed, from the beginning (seemingly) 1-shot take, to how the story and characters are developed, to the 2 lead actresses (Juliette Gariépy, Laurie Babin) and the entire cast being so believable in their roles. I loved that instead of showing horrific gruesome scenes, you already know and hear the scenes just by seeing the 2 actresses act with their eyes and faces. The depiction of the dark web & related online conversations seems incredibly real. I'm not on the dark web but have been actively engaged since the mid-90s with how people speak online especially using anonymous usernames. The ending did cause intense excited conversations between my friends & I, as to exactly the personality and motives of the main character. As a side note, my friends & I met the director Pascal Plante at CIFF & he was so friendly & humble. I've noticed that the films we enjoyed the most were by the directors who were incredibly humble about their work. Anyhow, this film kept us engaged with every single second.

I've been trying to get a hold of this movie for a while now because the ratings seemed spectacular, and the synopsis on IMDb doesn't reveal much. Yesterday, I was finally able to watch it, and after a while, I found myself questioning why this movie has such hype around it. The performances are great, especially from Juliette Gariépy, who does a spectacular job of portraying her character's descent into madness. Laurie Babin also invested a lot into her role, and you can tell that there is talent involved in this movie and not just in front of the camera. The film is well shot, and it's clear the director has an eye for creating suspense.

However, the narrative itself doesn't progress much, and there's not a lot of substance to the movie. My initial guess was that it would contain some really dark and disturbing moments, and while the subject matter is undeniably gruesome and disturbing, there's nothing here that seasoned horror fans haven't seen before in much greater detail. For a two-hour-long movie, it didn't have much to offer the audience, which is frustrating because it feels like wasting those two hours on a simple story that could have been told in 20 minutes. The movie certainly has some unique and interesting ideas, but none of them are fully explored to reach their potential. Maybe this is what people enjoy nowadays, but personally, I didn't get much from Red Rooms, and I am severely disappointed by the final result. [4.4/10]

Les chambres rouges.

A model becomes obsessed with a high-profile murder trial.

Red rooms is a psychological horror and thriller that gets darker in twisted way, the story is interesting and I love courtdrama films but this one felt unique and different a little with an up-to-date case about the dark web, so it really was a very interesting experience.

This movie excelled to picture the dark story of Kelly-Anne especially the atmosphere, most of the scenes were at night and it really served the movie.

This one shouldn't fly under the radar, it's one of the year's best, unfortunately it was released late in the year and it just didn't get the amount of appreciation it deserves.

Pascal Plante's Red Rooms may well be the definitive satire of the digital age -- with all its true crime podcasts, serial-killer streaming shows (people basing entire fandoms around the loss of others, basically), Dark-Web fascinations, and other things that have irrevocably desensitized us to suffering. That this film came out right when we started seeing as many corpses and eviscerated streets in our social media feeds as we did -- scrolling past them with little reaction -- makes it even more deeply haunting than it already was.

I can't really put it much better than the other critics here; this really is one of the most evil movies of the year -- possibly of all time. And that isn't to say that the director had ill intentions. That's not what they mean at all! Rather, the film captures something truly vile that is going on within mankind, and also includes one of the most cruel non-violent acts I have ever seen on film. When I tell you that the angles, edits, facial expressions, and especially the music from this scene live rent-free in my head, that is no exaggeration.

In general, the movie contains some of my favorite sequences of the year. The meticulously photographed courtroom scene that opens the film; the eerie moments where the protagonist (played by Juliette Gariépy in a powerfully subtle and downright disturbing performance) dives into the Dark Web and first makes contact with the eponymous Red Rooms; the finale that shows a singularly unsettling break-in. The more I think about it, the more I admire it. Absolutely phenomenal film.

Most of the dramatic European films , even if they come by the way of Quebec ) , are always deep ,dark , disturbing , philosophical and somewhat nihilistic in their approach to almost anything . That's the main reason , why I always was fascinated with European cinema...Said that , this particular title ,as much as I wanted It to be astonishing and deeply touching ( living in Quebec myself))) , somehow It still left me not very satisfied ... Difficult to understand exactly why ... Just something somewhere didn't fully clicked for me ... Nevertheless , definitely worth it to watch it at least once .

Was pleasantly surprised after randomly catching this film on Crave. Sound design and cinematography are both superb; very moody atmosphere is developed, which does an excellent job at enhancing the aura the script evokes. From the startling glance by the accused to the gorgeous shots of the city, both elements were exceptional, great in the LUT department as well.

The acting is also commendable by all involved, particularly the main actress. I see some reviews saying she was one-dimensional or lacking in emotion, but I found that she really pulled off a mysterious and almost sociopathic vibe very well. Quick mention to wardrobe, which was also great here.

A few minor qualms with the script, I felt that there could have been a bit more depth in the development between the two main female characters, but then again I think that would have also been a tricky balancing act.

Overall, I can highly recommend this to anyone who has a penchant for thrillers with elements of horror, but this film shows that you can accomplish the horror part very well without being graphic or obscene.

Red Rooms (2023) is an intriguing film that starts off with an incredibly compelling courtroom setup. The opening pleas are riveting, setting the stage for what seems to be a tense legal drama. However, the film soon diverges from this path, becoming something else entirely-something that, unfortunately, did not fully resonate with me.

While the cinematography is undoubtedly well-crafted and the sound design enhances the eerie atmosphere, the film struggles with pacing. At times, it feels overly drawn out, making the two-hour runtime a bit exhausting. Additionally, the protagonist's motivations remain frustratingly vague, leaving me disconnected from her journey. Despite strong visual storytelling and well-designed sets, the emotional core feels underdeveloped, which makes it difficult to fully invest in the story.

Perhaps this is a film that requires a specific mindset to truly appreciate, but for me, it was an underwhelming experience.

Do you always find yourself searching for a horror/thriller that's actually legitimately horrifying/thrilling? I know the struggle, but here's one for you. Pascal Plante's Red Rooms (Les Chambres Rouges) is a smart, sleek, sickening and highly disquieting piece about the sordid obsession everyone seems to have with true crime these days and the voyeuristic slant the internet has unfortunately bestowed upon it. A Montreal courtroom is hearing the case of a man charged with the brutal torture and slaughter of three teenage girls, the filming of which has been sold and distributed on the dark web. Various individuals attend the hearing including a mousy groupie (Laurie Babin) who believes the guy is innocent and a mysterious model (Juliette Gariépy) whose intentions remain, for the moment, unclear. It's here I'll stop with explicit plot description because this is truly one diabolical narrative puzzle to put together, steeped in nerve wracking suspense, vivid performances, an operatic score and some themes that will shake you to your core. How far can one go into freelance investigative territory before it becomes less about justice and more about personal gratification and getting too deep down a rabbit hole of distressing psychological discovery? The answers found in this story will make even the most seasoned horror fan uneasy, opening a Pandora's box of difficult moral quandaries and tough-pill revelations. Watch with caution, it's not for the squeamish and it's one of the most genuinely disturbing films I've seen in awhile, but also one of the most well made, and philosophically provocative. Streaming in CraveTV in Canada which means it might be on HBO Max, the stateside equivalent. Phenomenal, albeit profoundly dark film.

This film is well made, well acted, and well written. However, it is mislabeled as horror. This film is not even a little bit scary. You will find more horror in any episode of the TV shows Monk, Columbo, Bones, NCIS, Diagnosis Murder, Perry Mason, Criminal Minds, or even Murder She Wrote. There is no violence, no gore, no jump scares, nothing frightening whatsoever. There aren't even crime scenes, murder weapons, or anything remotely close to that shown in the courtroom scenes.

So, if you aren't here for horror, enjoy the mystery. That 'what is going on' in this film is peak, but avoid this if you want a horror film.

A downright gripping, consistently chilling & increasingly suspenseful psychological horror that only gets more twisted as it progresses, Red Rooms is an interesting examination of our morbid interest in the macabre and shows the self-destructive nature of obsession when one journeys too deep into their unhealthy fixations & allow it to bleed into their reality.

Led by Juliette Gariépy's enigmatic performance and keeping us invested in the proceedings at all times, this Canadian chiller ventures into the darkest corners of the web to capture the limitless depths of human depravity, does well to sustain its mystery until the end, and delivers an edge-of-the-seat experience to finish as one of the better films of the year.

Les Chambres Rouges (or Red Rooms for the English title) is a Canadian mystery/thriller by writer/director Pascal Plante. I really enjoyed this movie for its mysterious build-up of the story. It keeps you wondering what is really going on, and so interested for the entire movie. No violent scenes, just a psychological thriller well told and filmed. The acting was good. I preferred listening to Juliette Gariépy than Laurie Babin who has that awful French Canadian accent and language. For a French speaking Belgian listening to that Frenglish from Quebec can be cringeworthy. I get it that Quebecois is their language but I just can not get used to it. But apart of that the movie is certainly worth a watch if you like a slow building mystery.