Review by Benjamin Poole
Directed by: Eric Lin
Starring: Lucy Liu, Lawrence Shou, Orion Lee, Jennifer Lim, Madison Hu, James Chen
Being a horror fan means often getting asked, sometimes with indignance, "How can you watch that stuff?". Well, each to their own and all that but I do get it, and I understand why people wouldn't want to subject themselves to, say, the toilet stall scene in Together or witness the slapstick mortality of the latest Final Destination (two of the Waffler's 50 best films of the year, btw). Brushing up against the abject is part of the fun, after all, as is the abiding reassurance that horror's hyperbole isn't, you know, "real." Personally, I find it hard to sit through things which are constructed as genuine: documentaries, true crime, based on real life narratives which focus in on the heart-breaking or the hopeless. That's the stuff which is truly ghoulish to me, the stuff which repackages actual human misery for entertainment. Or perhaps such a sweeping dismissal isn't fair. In prep for this review, I consulted an expert in such media (my partner, who I think is addicted to Netflix documentaries) and they maintain that the appeal of real-life stories is actually based on empathy and a need to understand other people, and to see how the characters navigate the overwhelming challenges which they, and many others, face.
These were the concepts at the forefront of my imagination while watching Rosemead, the directorial debut of Eric Lin from a screenplay by Marilyn Fu which was based in turn on a 2017 LA Times column by Frank Shyong. I baldly repeat the plotline from the screener notes: "Inspired by a harrowing true story, Lucy Liu transforms in a riveting, career-redefining performance as an ailing woman who takes drastic measures to protect her troubled teenage son." It's actually a little more than "ailing," as Liu's character Irene has terminal cancer. Likewise, the "troubles" which affect her son Joe (Lawrence Shou) is a psychotic condition which the film refers to as schizophrenia and, it is implied, leads him to plan a school shooting. Each to their own, indeed. One final dig at that screener note, I'm not sure it's fair to say that Liu's performance is "redefining," because true heads know she's always been brilliant, a deeply nuanced actor who can do it all. We've just taken her for granted. But she is harrowing here, in a film which relies almost entirely on her superlative, tender performance, essaying grief and dejected resilience throughout.
Liu produced the film, too, and relearned Mandarin for the role, suggesting authentic investment. Duly, Rosemead is true to its Chinese-American cultural contexts, focussing specifically upon the L.A. Chinese-American community and consisting of indigenous dialogue. As Irene learns the worst about her illness, and Joe's situation degrades, part of the film's drama is driven by her inability to communicate and get help, leading to increasingly desperate measures. The mise-en-scene is washed of colour while the suburbs are depicted as grey and untidy, along with a soupy score as soundtrack. Rosemead isn't a film that offers false hope. Diagnosed with schizophrenia (I recognise that for some that appellation is problematic, but I'm sticking with the film's application), Joe experiences bouts of mania which comes to a head during one of those lockdown drills in preparation for a potential school shooting which America has seemingly accepted as a fixed part of the culture. The kid freaks out and runs about the halls smashing up school property, but worse, in the aftermath develops a morbid fixation on school shootings...
Joe's web history is replete with research into real-life tragedies, he turns up the sound on news broadcasting stories about the latest shootings, and, it transpires, has visited a gun shop with a view to purchase (there is also a moment in class where it is suggested that Joe's Junji-Ito style scribblings are further worrying proof of his neurosis, which is a bit silly). Irene is faced with the responsibility that her son may be about to contribute to America's most shameful statistic (231 shootings in 2025) because she won't be around long enough to prevent him from doing it. As Rosemead reaches its devastating outcomes, it demonstrates a poignant representation of the mental health crisis and a damning riposte to gun culture.
Rosemead is in Canadian cinemas from January 9th. A UK/ROI release has yet to be announced.
