Based on the descriptions of this film, I was expecting more of a supernatural/psychological thriller where reality bends and nightmares take over. The film isn’t that at all… and waiting for the zone of the twilight blackened mirror to hit left me glancing at my watch. But that’s just me expecting the usual retread instead of a true oddity of a film.

It’s about the trial of a child killer who broadcast his murders on the dark web. But it’s focus is on a random woman with an uncanny fascination with the trial. She comes to court every day with an unspoken interest for these events. What does she get out of it? Where is this even going?

This movie will tell you less than is typical for a regular thriller. The motivations of our lead and of her friend are cryptic, disturbing, and unknowable. I think we bring with us what we expect and it’s likely we are expecting the wrong thing. Even to the very end, trying to suss out her motivations and goals is a question mark. Is she evil, is she a monster, is she an evil monster doing the right thing for the wrong reason?

I was entranced by the opening single take in the immaculately white courtroom as the prosecutor and defense lay out their case. The camera wanders from character to character, focusing as it will on each face, before slowly closing in on the main character in the gallery. It’s a terrific bit of acting, filmmaking, and storytelling.

Even more impressive is the way the film depicts the video evidence of the horrendous murders. It shows us nothing but lets the screams and the focus on the actor’s faces do the talking. There’s another scene with cryptic motives involving a school girl uniform that’s accompanied by mad screeching that’s one of the most horrifying scenes in a movie I’ve seen in years. But no blood, no gore… just expert filmmaking.

Red Rooms may leave some expecting more, but if you are willing to go with its mystery box characters and plot, you’ll get something eerie and skin crawling. This is a pretty terrific thriller that I shouldn’t have sat on for so long.

Score: 88