It’s a gripping, unsettling, and unpredictable techno thriller.
It’s a gripping, unsettling, and unpredictable techno thriller.
It’s uncommon for a film to accurately depict technology. And it’s even less common for that film to fall within the thriller or horror genres, where authenticity is often sacrificed for thrills and suspense. However, Red Rooms largely succeeds in this regard. Few things take me out of a movie faster than a technological plot device that could as well be outright sorcery. Yes, the term “dark web” might always seem somewhat ludicrous, yet during its 118 minutes, the technology never becomes a distraction.
However, it isn’t the technology that makes Red Rooms exceptional. It’s merely an element that could have easily hindered an otherwise superb film. What drives the movie is the masterful tension crafted by director Pascal Plante. The impeccable slow-burn rhythm. And the astonishing performances by Juliette Gariépy in the role of Kelly-Anne and Laurie Babin as Clémentine.
The narrative primarily revolves around Kelly-Anne, a model / hacker / professional gambler who is present at the trial of the serial killer Ludovic Chevalier. She forms a friendship with Clémentine, an admirer of Chevalier who firmly believes he is innocent.
Clémentine fervently and loudly defends Chevalier, calling into television programs and shouting at journalists outside the courthouse. She turns herself into a spectacle. In contrast, Kelly-Anne remains more enigmatic, her intentions shrouded in mystery. Even at the film’s conclusion, there is uncertainty regarding her actual objectives and motivations.
This ambiguity contributes to what renders Red Rooms so gripping. The film feels unpredictable. No character seems trustworthy or relatable. The environment they occupy is both familiar and unsettling.
The film lingers in this discomfort for extended durations, causing you to squirm. It invites you to consider various potential outcomes that might unfold. Is Chevalier truly the murderer? Is Kelly-Anne the perpetrator? Was one of the victims’ mothers an accomplice? Is the prosecutor hiding something?
The narrative advances slowly, unraveling a tale of abduction, livestreamed torture, and snuff films before culminating in a climax that surprisingly delves into online poker and Bitcoin for genuine dramatic effect. Ultimately, it’s less about the killings per se than it is about obsession, internet phenomena, and the media landscape. It almost serves as a grittier counterpart to David Fincher’s Gone Girl.
