Tough, confrontational, moving and to be honest, memorable … Pascal Plante delivers The red rooms a devilishly effective psychological thriller that leaves you breathless and shaken.
The trial of Ludovic Chevalier, aka the demon of Rosemont, shakes the metropolis. For what? Because his crimes are as heinous as they are barbaric: he is accused of kidnapping three teenage girls, then kidnapping and killing them. Worse still, he filmed these barbaric acts just to distribute the images to wealthy, anonymous buyers lurking in the depths of the dark web.
When his trial draws media and curious attention, two young women develop a sick obsession with the killer and his crimes. In fact, their madness will drive them to try and get hold of the unreleased video of one of these murders to satisfy their curiosity. And that even if they have to search in the darkest and forbidden corners of the internet to find it…
Off the beaten path
The premise of “Red Rooms” suggests a horrible movie as there are so many where violence and blood splatter could drown out the plot. But Pascal Plante decided to think outside the box and leave the usual conventions behind. Because instead of showing the evil deeds that his killer is accused of, the filmmaker uses the power of suggestion. The crimes are described or implied, but never shown on screen.
And if it works so well, it’s because Pascal Plante demonstrates an impressive skill that allows him to create an almost airtight atmosphere of tension and arouse strong emotions in the cinema-goer, without resorting to well-worn techniques. An approach reminiscent of the masters of the seventh art of the caliber David Fincher, Michael Haneke and Michael Cimino.
talented actresses
But it’s also thanks to the work of its two leading actresses that “The Red Rooms” rises well above the crisis. Juliette Gariépy carries the film on her shoulders and keeps the action at bay without ever batting an eyelid. The young actress is a real revelation for her first-ever role in cinema and seems doomed to a downright bright future as she bursts the screen.
Laurie Babin doesn’t miss out either. Exploring darker realms than those she’s accustomed us to in the past, the actress dazzles with the intricacies and nuances of her unerring acting.
In short: “The Red Rooms” is a thriller that you rarely see these days: a film that hits you like a slap in the chest and whose effect you can feel long after the opening credits.
The red rooms (4 stars)
A film by Pascal Plante. With Juliette Gariépy, Laurie Babin and Maxwell McCabe-Lokos. Will be shown on Friday.