Synopsis: Kelly-Anne wakes up every morning to wait outside the courtroom to secure a seat at the high-profile trial of Ludovic Chevalier, a man charged with the murder of three teenage girls, with the gruesome videos of two of the crimes surfacing for sale online on the dark web. She finds herself bonding with a fellow voyeur, momentarily breaking her out of her loneliness, while also witnessing the emotional decline of the victims’ families. As the proceedings continue, it becomes increasingly difficult for Kelly-Anne to maintain the psychological and physical balance between her normal life and her morbid fixation with the accused killer, with her obsession reaching new lengths when the final piece of evidence reveals itself within reach.
Named after the highly disputed violent dark web spaces known as red rooms in online urban legends, RED ROOMS was inspired by the fans who inexplicably flock to serial killers throughout modern history and further motivated by the current state of cybersecurity and tech crimes. The film not only succeeds as one of the most chilling entries to the serial killer genre from the last decade —despite never revealing any of the explicit images that the film’s characters are forced to witness— with Plante creating a fictional killer that is a devastating product of our time, but excels as a cinematic portrayal of how modern civilization engages with technology while holding a mirror up to the loneliness and isolation that exists within the dark side of present-day society.
RED ROOMS is Montreal filmmaker Pascal Plante’s third narrative feature, following the 2020 Cannes Film Festival selection NADIA, BUTTERFLY and 2018 Berlinale selection FAKE TATTOOS. The film features captivating performances from its three leads; Quebec actors Juliette Gariépy (Home Turf) and Laurie Babin (THE LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS TOO FOND OF MATCHES) alongside Maxwell McCabe-Lokos, the Canadian actor and filmmaker best known as the writer/director of Oscilloscope’s 2022 comedy STANLEYVILLE.
RED ROOMS is produced by Dominique Dussault for Nemesis Films. Cinematographer Vincent Biron (THE TWENTIETH CENTURY) artfully lensed the feature, Laura Nhem (THE TWENTIETH CENTURY) was production designer, and Jonah Malak edited.
Official Selection: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival (Opening Night), Calgary International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Fantasy Filmfest, Miami Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, Monster Fest.
Awards: Fantasia International Film Festival: Cheval Noir, Outstanding Performance (Juliette Gariépy); Cheval Noir, Best Screenplay; Cheval Noir, Best Film; Sandro Forte Award, Best Motion Picture Score (Dominique Plante). Monster Fest: Best International Movie. Brooklyn Horror Film Festival: Festival Prize, Best Feature; Best Actress (Juliette Gariépy). Le Gala Quebec Cinema: Prix Iris, Revelation of the Year (Juliette Gariépy); Prix Iris, Best Supporting Actress (Laurie Babin).
THEATRICAL ENGAGEMENTS:
IFC Center — NYC, NY
Laemmle NoHo — North Hollywood, CA
The Plaza — Atlanta, GA
PFS Bourse — Philadelphia, PA
Syndicated Cinema — Brooklyn, NY
The Oriental — Milwaukee, WI
Moxie Cinema — Springfield, MO
Lumiere Cinema — Beverly Hill, CA
Emagine Palladium 15— Birmingham, MI
SIFF Cinema Uptown — Seattle, WA
The Guild — Albuquerque, NM
Capri Theater — Montgomery, AL
Cinema Arts Center — Huntington, NY
