Red Rooms (2024)

Director: Pascal Plante

Running Time: 118 Minutes

Certification: 18

Starring: Juliette Gariépy, Laurie Babin, Élisabeth Locas, Maxwell McCabe-Lokos, Natalie Tannous, Pierre Chagnon

Red Rooms opens on a curious sight, as Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariépy) is shown waking up after sleeping on the streets. The reason for this is that she wants to be first in line outside a courthouse, intent on getting a seat for a high-profile case that is unfolding. On trial is Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos), a man who has been arrested for murdering high-school girls on-camera, with his monstrous actions shown to online clients within 'red rooms.' With her obsession leading her down a dark path, Kelly-Anne becomes determined to find the missing video of the final victim's murder.

The latest feature by writer/director Pascal Plante, what has been crafted is a slow-burn work which grows more unsettling as the 118-minute runtime moves along. This is due to how the grim and harrowing subject matter is presented, interestingly choosing to not show the gruesome actions. Instead, the court proceedings describe the unforgivable acts in graphic detail, leaving the worst sights to be filled in by viewers imaginations.

Such a distance between the subject matter and what is seen avoids what could have tipped into extreme horror, instead allowing for something more palatable. This distance also allows for the introduction of Clementine (Laurie Babin), a true-crime obsessive who is devoted to Chevalier and protests his innocence. While she is at ease spouting conspiracy theories to her fellow true-crime obsessive, or to reporters intent on capturing such reactions on-camera, she is on unsure ground when her theories are challenged on a panel show.

Those beliefs are massively challenged in the films standout scene, when the camera lingers on the two women's faces as they watch the much-reported videos. The decision to focus upon the character's faces as they react to unseen horrors is a magnificent choice, as the facial expressions detail so much that viewers can understand the unfolding terrors they are witnessing. What was previously at a distance now feels disgustingly real, and the fantasy has been irrevocably shattered by reality crashing through. It is part of an unsettling tone that is tremendously crafted, aided by the excellent sound design and Dominique Plante's terrific compositions.

Front and centre of this film is Juliette Gariépy, fantastically bringing alive this model who is obsessed with this real-life case. She has particular interest within this unfolding investigation, although what it is that drives her interest is uncertain. Does she have a personal stake within this, or is she a true-crime fanatic that is taking this too seriously? It is a question that lingers, and the excellent performance gives nothing away. What viewers are privy to is the knowledge that Kelly-Anne's "edgy" brand leaves associated companies uncomfortable, and it is easy to see why when her provocative side arrives for a jaw-dropping moment involving a change of clothes.

Much like 2023's Anatomy of a Fall, it appears that French-speaking thrillers are the place to go for magnificent courtroom stories involving people theorizing over a case's outcome. There may be times where it feels a little long, yet Red Rooms remains an engrossing tale about true-crime obsession, where the reality of such horrors are written all over the character's faces.

Red Rooms is available in cinemas now