Red Rooms is a chilling psychological thriller directed by Pascal Plante. The film explores obsession and moral ambiguity. The film centres on Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariépy), a fashion model consumed by a dark fascination with the trial of a notorious serial killer.
The story revolves around the trial of Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos), accused of torturing and murdering 3 teenage girls in a so-called “red room”. While Red Rooms never shows any of the violent acts, Plante skilfully builds a deeply disturbing atmosphere, keeping most of the horror within the courtroom’s confined space.
Gariépy’s portrayal of Kelly-Anne is mesmerising. Her character spends sleepless nights outside the Montreal courthouse, her obsession palpable through her blank stares and suppressed euphoria. Plante’s direction heightens this intensity, using long, quiet shots to mirror Kelly-Anne’s emotional detachment, ultimately positioning her as a more unsettling presence than the man on trial.
Kelly-Anne’s hollow and isolated life —she speaks only to her agent and a virtual assistant— further amplifies her sociopathic tendencies. Her predatory prowess at online poker serves as a metaphor for her need to dominate, reflecting a disturbing lack of empathy.
Kelly-Anne’s impenetrable Carapace is slightly weakened when she forms a fleeting friendship with fellow trial watcher Clementine (Laurie Babin), a troubled true crime enthusiast who believes Chevalier to be innocent of his crimes.
The film’s minimalist approach to violence is effective, relying on the tension of what is unsaid and unseen. Plante’s talent for cultivating psychological unease without resorting to graphic images echoes the influence of filmmakers like David Cronenberg. The tension in Red Rooms mostly comes from the trial’s cold rhetoric. Meanwhile, Kelly-Anne’s quiet obsession, and the unsettling notion that evil doesn’t need to be shown to be felt.
That said, Red Rooms stumbles slightly with its inclusion of a reductive hacker trope. The film’s implication that these rooms, while not proven to exist, could be looming in society’s near future, feels a little farfetched and slightly silly.
Despite these minor flaws, Red Rooms remains a gripping psychological horror, held together by Pascal Plante’s strong direction and, most notably, Gariépy’s standout performance. Her portrayal of Kelly-Anne—cool, calculating, and disturbingly serene—cements her as the true source of fear, far more unnerving than the killer in the courtroom.
Red Rooms is in cinemas nationwide from Friday 6th of September
