[Review] Red Rooms (2023) | Pascal Plante

[Review] Red Rooms (2023) | French-Canadian Film | Les Chambres Rouges | Pascal Plante | Juliette Gariépy

Red Rooms (2024) Film Poster featuring Juliette Gariépy as Kelly-Anne

Red Rooms (2023) is a French-Canadian psychological thriller written & directed by Pascal Plante, produced by Dominique Dussault, with Cinematography by Vincent Biron, edited by Jonah Malak & music by Dominique Plante.

Juliette Gariépy as Kelly-Anne, Laurie Babin as Clémentine, Elisabeth Locas as Francine Beaulieu & Maxwell McCabe-Lokos as Ludovic Chevalier, the film has received a lot of accolades and praise for its exploration of self-destructive obsession.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Red Rooms (2023) Synopsis:

The high-profile case of serial killer Ludovic Chevalier has just gone to trial, and Kelly-Anne is obsessed. When reality blurs with her morbid fantasies, she goes down a dark path to seek the final piece of the case’s puzzle.

Red Rooms (2023) Review:

The first thing I read about Red Rooms was that it was one of the best thrillers released in 2023. Since then, I’ve been wanting to watch it, but the time was never right. Until last weekend, when I finally got the chance. And what a spectacle it was!

A still of the courtroom trial scene

Right from the opening shots to the finale that had me scratching my head and applauding the ambiguity and the complexity with which the filmmakers have presented the very concept of obsession with the macabre, the film just had me hooked.

Obsession with True Crime & Macabre

Almost immediately, it becomes clear that the film explores the idea of human obsession with true crime. The popularity of many true crime documentaries, serial killer fiction, and such is telling of how much people love to engage with the macabre. Red Rooms tests you with its overtly clinical trial in the beginning. A marvellous single-take lays the grounds for the trial, the criminal, the victims, and all the important details that our characters will obsess over in the coming weeks.

Following that, we get glimpses into the life of Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariépy). She’s a loner, she’s very tech-savvy, and a successful model who thrives in online poker. We see her use her skills to conduct her own digital investigation, managing to find Francine Beaulieu’s (Elisabeth Locas) password. Her adeptness at tech is mirrored by the clinically sterile manner in which she approaches the investigation. Her skills and silent but relentless approach are almost psychopathic, like a serial killer herself. But, she’s never hurt a fly. Not that we know of.

Over the course of the film, we oscillate between the trial, Kelly-Anne’s investigation, and her personal life, each segment treated in a uniquely cinematic manner. The courtroom is a sterile environment, presented with restraint and formality. Kelly-Anne’s life is an odd mix of high-octane fast-cuts and overtly technical drama unfolding through screens. The interpersonal relationships, on the other hand, end up shedding light on everything Kelly-Anne is not.

The film doesn’t have a single dull moment. Even its slow scenes bring with them tension and unease. Almost like it is presenting a true crime story to us unfolding in realtime, simulating the experience of watching such content whilst dissecting the psyche that goes behind human inclination towards the macabre & true crime.

Complex Characters

The characters are where Red Rooms really shines, in my opinion. Clémentine was a tragic breath of fresh air. She’s full of life, and senseless hope that Ludovic (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos) is innocent. She clearly displays an attraction to this man, who’s accused of the vilest of crimes. Her obsession is so clearly muddled by her emotions that she actually goes on to claim that this whole trial is a conspiracy and the videos are fake. This level of obsession in a post-truth world hits a little too close to home, doesn’t it?

Laurie Babin as Clémentine in Red Rooms

Where Clémentine is emotionally invested, Kelly-Anne’s thoughts remain undisclosed. Is she here because she’s obsessed with general macabre details? Does Kelly-Anne have a romantic inclination towards the alleged murderer? Or does she have a compulsive need to crack an impossible puzzle? The film does not answer any of those questions. Instead, it explores each of those possibilities through the lens of a psych-eval that the film expertly conducts. Every interaction that Kelly-Anne has with others sheds light on what she might be thinking.

Kelly-Anne’s layered character, coupled with Juliette Gariépy’s excellent performance, does the heavy lifting in this movie. As much as the film raises doubts over the character’s motivations, the film isn’t about those. It’s not about the cause, but the symptoms. And in those, you will find some eerily familiar traits that make you reflect and question yourself.

Red Rooms (2023) Ending Explained (SPOILERS)

After her stunt dressed as Camille, all her clients drop Kelly-Anne. Once she’s burned all her bridges, Kelly-Anne proceeds to verify her interest with the dark web group that’s selling Camille’s video. After an intense auction and poker match duo, Kelly-Anne wins the video (at the cost of a whopping 21.5 Bitcoins). Promptly, she proceeds to watch the video with an emotionless look that suggests restrained pleasure and curiosity.

Later, she sneaks into Jacqueline’s house and plants a USB stick with the video in her room. She goes into Camille’s room, where she takes a few selfies dressed in her school uniform, and then leaves. Some time later, the third video (Camille’s video) is presented in court, making Ludovic’s crime undeniable. He pleads guilty, and the families of the victim get some kind of closure. In the end, we see an interview of Clémentine, where she expresses regret over having fallen for a monster like Ludovic.

The ending might seem altruistic, but not without its dash of deranged. Kelly-Anne isn’t really doing anything to help anyone. She’s every bit as self-obsessed and narcissistic as every other human being. To me, her cracking the puzzle was more about testing her limits. After all, she is practically a poker champion, a game that is allegedly the only casino game that’s not just dumb luck.

The end for me shows Kelly-Anne’s closure with this one obsession, but it doesn’t mean that it is the end of every obsession ever. She’s going to find something else to lose herself in. She is a crafty genius, and she’s going to figure out a way to keep making a living, whilst on the hunt for a brand new obsession.

Just like your new TV show or App. Or social media trends.

Juliette Gariépy as Kelly-Anne watching Camille’s Video

Is Red Rooms (2023) worth watching?

Yes. But, I say this with a caveat that Red Rooms is not for everyone. It’s unsettling and requires you to engage with the characters in a way that goes beyond the ordinary. This isn’t your regular thriller, psychological or otherwise. On the contrary, this is a clinical dissection of a complex character as they obsess over the macabre for reasons never fully explained, motivations never truly understood, and actions that will keep you questioning how the human psyche works.

If you like those kinds of films, then go for it. If you don’t, steer clear. Red Rooms doesn’t answer questions so much as it presents an unfiltered exploration of obsession, leaving you to draw your own conclusions.

In Conclusion:

Red Rooms (2023) is a compelling psychological thriller that shines through the performances of its leading cast, the technical finesse of its creative team, and the depth and complexity of its subject matter.

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Have you watched Red Rooms (2023)? What did you think about this film? Let me know in the comments below, along with any film recommendations you’d like me to watch/review.

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