When I was researching the most anticipated movies of 2025, one of the names that came up was "Red Rooms." This psychological crime thriller is actually from 2023 when it debuted at the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic. But it just arrived on Shudder today (Jan. 14), which is why it was coming up in various roundups I saw.
After watching it, I can see why. This thriller is gripping, especially as it approaches its climax. The film is really well made, giving you the right amount of breadcrumbs, some misdirection and again, the tension building at the end is palpable. I'm writing this after having just finished "Red Rooms," and frankly, I feel a little unwell. But not from gore, or any classic horror elements. In fact, despite this movie centering around the gristly murder of three teenage girls, the violence of it is intentionally tame. The movie doesn't need violence to be harrowing, just everyone's reaction to the violence.
Overall, I'm not surprised to see that it's currently rated 95% "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes. It's a brilliant thriller, even if you need subtitles for its French audio (the movie is set in Quebec). So without further ado, here's what "Red Rooms" is about and why it's a must-watch for any thriller fan now that it's on Shudder, which is a must-have streaming service for any horror or thriller fan.
What is ‘Red Rooms’ about?
"Red Rooms" is a French-Canadian French-language thriller that stars Juliette Gariépy as Montreal model Kelly-Anne. When we meet her, she's attending the murder trial of Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos), a man who is accused of filming and broadcasting the murder of three teenage girls in a "Red Room." These Red Rooms are chat rooms hosted on the dark web where they auction off snuff films to the highest bidder.
When the movie starts, it's unclear just how Kelly Anne fits into this. It's clear there's evidence against Chevalier, but it's also clear that it's circumstantial and not overwhelming. The murderer's face is covered by a balaclava in the videos and the video of one of the victims, Camille, has yet to be found. So the prosecution cannot definitively claim that it's him in the videos.
Some people think he's innocent, too, though they're mostly female fans. Kelly-Anne meets one of them, Clementine (Laurie Babin), at the trial, and they begin a budding friendship. But as the case goes on, everything starts to unravel.
'Red Rooms' expertly crafts its tension
Some mild spoilers for "Red Rooms" ahead
At first, I thought that Kelly-Anne might be involved in the Red Rooms directly. She shows up wearing an upside cross, all dressed in black. She's gauging everyone in the courtroom as she sits in the audience, and she's calm and collected. She seems very in control.
But the movie also gives you plenty of indication that Chevalier did, in fact, kill these girls. As the "explicit" and "extremely violent" nature of the case is explained to the jury, he's just in a plexiglass box checking his nails, totally unbothered. It's clear that the movie is signaling that either this guy is convinced he didn't do it and will be proven innocent, or he definitely did it and just doesn't care.
Without spoiling things, as the case goes on, the movie doesn't necessarily dissuade you from either possibility. There are little breadcrumbs and moments planted that keep you guessing what's going on, and thinking that you know what's coming. And sometimes, you might be right, but in the end, you'll have no idea what's actually coming. Trust me.
One thing the movie doesn't do though, is actually show much gore or violence. There's an early scene where a victim's braces are shown, still attached to a decomposing jaw. And when the Red Room videos are shown on two occasions in this movie, we only ever see one quick bit, where we glimpse what is presumably Chevalier in a bloodied, red room after having just desecrated one of his victims.
But "Red Rooms" doesn't need a hyperviolent or gory video to get to you. As the movie builds toward its climax, relationships and people start to unravel. Mistakes start to be made. And you're just waiting for the next shoe to drop. When the last reveal finally happened I was stunned, not expecting it at all until it was right there on the screen.
So go stream "Red Rooms" now, which is the best thriller I've seen in the — admittedly very new — year so far. You can watch it on Shudder by subscribing directly, or by signing up for AMC Plus, which comes with a Shudder subscription. Or you can do what I did, and watch it through Philo, which is an excellent cable alternative that gives you 70-plus channels and an AMC Plus subscription for just $28 a month. The channel selection isn't on par with live TV streaming services like YouTube TV or Fubo, but it's good value thanks to the inclusion of AMC Plus, Shudder and channels like MTV and the Paramount Network.
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