One of 2024’s Creepiest Thrillers Is Finally Streaming

If you dare, you can now watch one of the most disturbing psychological thrillers in recent memory from the comfort of your home. Pascal Plante’s Red Rooms, a haunting exploration of true crime obsession and the internet’s darkest corners, is now available on Shudder. The Canadian film, which earned widespread critical acclaim during its festival run, follows a young woman’s dangerous fixation with a brutal serial killer case, delivering a thought-provoking meditation on our collective fixation with true crime while crafting an atmosphere of unrelenting dread. Unlike many contemporary horror thrillers that rely on explicit violence and gore to shock audiences, Red Rooms builds its terror through suggestion and psychological manipulation, creating an experience that lingers long after viewing.

Red Rooms centers on Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariépy), a successful model and online poker player who becomes intensely invested in the trial of Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos), a man accused of kidnapping, torturing, and murdering teenage girls while streaming the acts on the dark web. Kelly-Anne’s morbid curiosity drives her to attend every day of the trial, sleeping outside the courthouse to secure a seat. As she delves deeper into investigating the case, the line between observer and participant begins to blur in increasingly unsettling ways. Through Kelly-Anne’s journey, the film examines how true crime fascination can transform from casual interest into something more dangerous.

Why Is Red Rooms So Good?

Critics have universally praised Red Rooms for its bold approach to the serial killer genre, with the movie maintaining an overwhelming Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. Much of this praise centers on Gariépy’s magnetic lead performance, which brings a chilling complexity to Kelly-Anne’s descent into compulsion. The film’s ability to create tension without relying on explicit violence has also drawn particular notice, with reviewers highlighting how Dominique Plante’s score and Vincent Biron’s cinematography work in tandem to create an atmosphere of mounting dread.

Beyond its immediate impact as a psychological thriller, Red Rooms offers a sophisticated critique of contemporary true crime culture and our relationship with digital media. The film explores how technology has transformed the ways we consume news, questioning the ethical implications of treating real-world tragedies as entertainment. Through Kelly-Anne’s increasingly concerning behavior, Plante examines the nature of parasocial relationships and the potential consequences of becoming too invested in disturbing criminal cases. This commentary feels particularly relevant in an era where true crime podcasts, documentaries, and online communities continue to proliferate.

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The movie’s examination of online spaces and digital privacy adds another layer of relevance to the psychological thriller, highlighting how vulnerable we all are in the internet age. By focusing on the dark web and the concept of “red rooms,” the film forces viewers to confront uncomfortable questions about privacy, surveillance, and the potential for technology to enable humanity’s darkest impulses. 

It’s no wonder Shudder, a streaming service known for its enviable collection of genre movies, has snatched Red Rooms for exclusive distribution. The film’s arrival on Shudder makes this thought-provoking thriller accessible to a broader audience, though viewers should be prepared for a deeply unsettling experience.

Red Rooms is now streaming on Shudder.