Red Rooms (a.k.a ‘Les chambres rouges’) is the new film by writer and director Pascal Plante. The story follows Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariépy), who is obsessed with the notorious case of serial killer, Ludovic Chevalier, whose trial has just begun. So dedicated to the story and the figure, she is one of the few attendees not directly involved to be in the courtroom. She finds a kindred spirit with Clementine (Laurie Babin), another obsessed fan who believes Chevalier to be innocent – but Kelly-Anne is much more resourceful. Her skills send her on the hunt to find the final piece of the puzzle: the missing video of a murdered 13-year-old girl.
The film takes its time really letting us get to know who Kelly-Anne is, and what her motivations are. She is where the film begins, as we see her enter the courtroom. However, the camera leaves her and begins to focus on the opening statements of the lawyers. When it finally lands back on Kelly-Anne, we see her intense gaze focused on the accused in his glass box. It takes a few more scenes before it becomes clear that she is essentially a groupie. At least, that’s the term that is used by the people who look down on her and Clementine in the film. This is a dark idea to place on a protagonist, as Chevalier is accused of some horrific crimes.
There is so much about this film to draw you in. The camera movement and fluidness remind a lot of David Fincher, which is employed accurately as the story here feels like something Fincher would tackle, ala Zodiac or Gone Girl. Everything from the courtroom to Kelly-Anne’s minimalist apartment are gorgeous and feel so luxurious considering the subject matter’s dark tone. Everything in Kelly-Anne’s world feels sterile and strictly functional. She escapes reality via the web and technology. It’s an interesting study of human nature and obsession that has some truly troubling ramifications in the film.
Red Rooms is a thriller – but not because it isn’t gory or full of jump scares – It could easily be classified as horror, by what it describes…from the descriptions of the heinous crimes to the depths at which Kelly-Anne is willing to go, the horror lies in the actions of the characters. In that way, this film is one of the scarier ones I’ve seen this year. I may have never jumped out of my seat, but I did loudly proclaim WTF a few times while watching it.
Red Rooms is playing at the Fantasia International Film Festival.
Rating: Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy
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