Watch Red Rooms on Shudder

This new dark psychological thriller is written and directed by Pascal Plante, who previously made Les faux tatouages (2017) and Nadia, Butterfly (2020). While I feel I have to describe Red Rooms as slow-burn, it really doesn’t feel like a slow movie.

It packs a real punch. Just in a different way!

Every cast member in this movie delivers a strong performance, but for me, it’s still very much about Juliette Gariépy as Kelly-Anne. She’s the character we experience everything through. Even in long scenes, she’s always in the background. Watching and evaluating everything.

This is a Canadian movie (org. title: Les chambres rouges) which means the trial setting is different from the typical US setting. Instead, it’s more like the UK and French (for obvious reasons) trials you may have seen. However, this is another element that works perfectly.

Red Rooms premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. After its premiere, it went on to screen at several leading global film festivals. Including the Fantasia Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, and the BFI London Film Festival.

Red Rooms begins Streaming On Shudder on January 14, 2025.

“Is it time to go?”

That’s the question my husband and I have been asking ourselves with traumatic regularity over the past seven days. As we watched the Eaton fire erupt in nearby Altadena, we wondered. When we got the evacuation warning alert, we answered: We packed the car, took a few additional minutes to scoop up some photo albums and left.

After the warning and nearby mandatory evacuations were lifted in our area on Saturday, we returned home. Our power went out on Sunday and when neighbors received texts saying it would be out until Wednesday, we asked the question again — we hadn’t bothered to unpack the cars. Then the lights went on and we figured we’d stay. On Monday, we woke again to high winds and a “particularly dangerous situation” alert from the National Weather Service.

Compared with thousands of people living in the Los Angeles area, we are incredibly lucky. And we feel that. But we’re also exhausted and, with the winds blowing hard even as I write, on edge. Now the question has become bigger and more demanding.

Is it time to go … forever? To leave, if not California then the foothills, which we have called home for 21 years?

A year or two after I moved to L.A. the Old Topanga fire of 1993 swept through Malibu, creating scenes of desperate escape and destruction similar to, if more limited than, those we’ve seen from Altadena and the Palisades. I remember at the time people darkly joking that “Malibu” was a Native American term for “Do not live here.”

Altadena also burned that year, once in a brush fire that killed two firefighters, again in a wildfire that destroyed or damaged 40 homes. But it was after Old Topanga that revered California writer, activist and historian Mike Davis wrote his famous essay, “The Case for Letting Malibu Burn,” in which he argued, among other things, that Los Angeles had already paid too high a price for allowing rich people seeking seclusion, beauty and exclusivity to build in places historically prone to fire.

Now I look at the mountains that rear up around my community of La Crescenta, beautiful hills that, depending on the time of year and amount of rainfall, can make you feel like you’re in Ireland or Scotland. And I wonder: Should we be living here?

Just two years ago, they were covered with snow; a few weeks ago, fog crept down, as it often does. On Sunday, while the Eaton fires still raged, they sat serene and seemingly untouchable against a bright blue sky, the air so clear you would never know a horrific fire continued to burn just miles away.

But I know it’s a mirage. The winds can change that in a hour; an arsonist or accidental spark in less than a minute. During the 2009 Station fire, flames were visible on the hills as we evacuated. At more than 160,000 acres, it remains the largest wildfire in Los Angeles County history, claiming the lives of two firefighters and destroying 89 homes.

The January 2025 fires will be remembered for far more widespread destruction of property. With at least 25 people dead and 12,000 structures destroyed, the Eaton and Palisades fires are among the worst in modern history — and they are still burning.

Angelenos take pride in their resilience. For many, fires (like floods or earthquakes) are the price one pays for living in paradise.

But with climate change forcing Southern California into a maddening cycle of deluge and drought, people are beginning to question the wisdom of building, or rebuilding, communities that edge up to the more wilder areas of L.A.’s varied topography. Davis’ essay is once again being quoted, directly and in subtext, as officials, experts, historians and randos on Reddit discuss the sustainability of Southern Californians living so close to hills and mountains where fire regularly breaks out.

Davis wasn’t talking about Altadena, or the foothills, where fire has been far more rare than in Topanga and Malibu. But still, if I step out of my house, I can see hills covered with dried-out brush and the tops of power stations. And I wonder.

Not that we live in an urban wilderness. We live in what is known as a developed tract, dominated by the wide streets and cheek-by-jowl midcentury homes designed by Webster Wiley. There are street lights and sidewalks; a park and a half-dozen schools lie within walking distance.

Neither did we come seeking privacy, exclusivity or even beauty, at least of the wild sort. We bought here because of the fine school district, the ease of commute to The Times, which was then downtown, and the general affordability. Down the hill in Montrose, Honolulu Boulevard is such a lively and classic small-town main street that it shows up in countless TV series and films.

Yes, as we drive up the streets that lead to our home, we dip under bowers of California oaks, see deer, bobcats and the occasional bear, but as in Altadena, there’s nothing exclusive about this part of the world and we still felt part of the metropolis; on a clear day, you can see most of downtown.

My husband and I love our home, where we have experienced most of our marriage and raised our three children. Watching as people, including friends and colleagues, post pictures of the smoldering ruins of equally beloved homes, our hearts break. But they also fill with fear. It could so easily be us. Next time, or even this time.

A house is just a house, compared with human lives. But our house is the only thing of real value that we own. (Mostly; there is still a mortgage.) It is what allowed my husband to (finally) retire at 72 and, barring some unexpected windfall, it is the only inheritance our children will have. We have fire insurance, for now, though given the recent history of that industry, our premiums could be raised to unsustainable levels or our coverage dropped altogether. And then what?

If we are fortunate and the house continues to survive this interminable fire season, we could comfort ourselves with the uniqueness of these ghastly circumstances — the 85-plus-mph “mountain wave” winds, the heavy rains in early spring followed by unusual dryness. This is not Malibu, after all. How often could such a horrific confluence of events occur?

Too often in recent years and no doubt more often in the future. Climate change is real and it is flooding, burning, battering and desiccating California, the country and the world on a daily basis. And not just in places prone to catastrophe.

Scientists warn, too many politicians ignore and the rest of us are forced to evacuate, to mourn friends and family, to gape at the wreckage of where we once lived.

I have railed, and will continue to rail, against those who refuse to quickly and resolutely address the environmental issues that threaten all life on this planet. But right now, as I check in with The Times’ excellent fire coverage and regularly tap into Watch Duty to see if the Eaton fire is on the move again, my husband and I look up at the hills and ask each other: “Is it time to go?”

Are the mountains that have delighted and inspired us for so many years now a threat? Will the eucalyptus in the corner of our yard be our undoing? Or the pine trees that tower around our neighborhood?

We have already gotten rid of our lawn, put in gravel and succulents, taken down two trees that had grown uncomfortably close to our house. But we still have roses and lavender, jasmine and ivy. We felt we had to plant two smaller trees to replace the ones we killed. Now they’ve grown and their drying leaves rattle in the wind. Was that a mistake? Is being here at all a miscalculation?

We are exhausted, we are anxious and the Santa Anas are blowing, which can shred reasonable thought even without extreme fire risk. With so many in real crisis, it’s hardly the time for the existential variety. There are thousands in critical need; contemplating what could happen is a luxury when so many must cope with what already has.

Nevertheless, the city, county and state will have to face tough questions and make hard choices once the fires are out. How do we prevent such a catastrophe from happening again? Can we?

Homes, businesses and lives will be rebuilt, but how and where?

Our car remains packed as we squint out at the hills. For now, we can only pray and await further instruction.

After delivering a blockbuster with ‘F2’ and a hit with ‘F3’, Victory Venkatesh and Anil Ravipudi teamed for the third time with, Sankranthiki Vasthunnam, to score a hat-trick of successful films in their combination. With a chartbuster song ‘Godari Gattu Meeda’ and a huge round of promotions including reels, etc., the team managed to generate very good buzz around the film. Did Venkatesh & Anil Ravipudi score a hat-trick in their combination? Did Dil Raju manage to score a hit at the box office after a series of disappointing films? Did Venkatesh get back onto the success track after a forgettable film, Saindhav, which was released in theatres during the last Sankranthi? Let’s find out with a detailed analysis.

What is it about?

Y D Raju(Venkatesh), an Ex-Cop and an encounter specialist leads a happy life with his wife(Aishwarya Rajesh), four kids and a joint family in a village near Rajahmundry. His Ex-Girlfriend(Meenakshi Chaudhary), a Cop, reaches out to him one fine day and requests him to help the police department perform a secret rescue operation. Who is that Y D Raju and the team have to rescue? Why did Y D Raju’s wife want to be part of the rescue mission? Forms the rest of the story.

Performances:

Victory Venkatesh played a tailor-made role in the film. Y D Raju’s role is a cakewalk for him as he has done many similar roles in the past. He is as usual very good with his comedy timing. His dialogues in the form of a ‘Message’ to men during a fight sequence in the second half, his act as a loveable husband and his act as a husband who gets sandwiched between wife and ex-girlfriend are sure to bring the roofs down in theatres.

Aishwarya Rajesh as an innocent and possessive wife delivered a very good performance. Her performance as an innocent wife in the first half deserves a special mention. Meenakshi Chaudhary as ex-girlfriend and a COP delivered a good performance. Seems like the appreciation she got for her role in ‘Lucky Baskhar’ instilled a lot of confidence in her and that confidence is evident in the way she carried her role beside a senior hero like Venkatesh & a seasoned performer like Aishwarya Rajesh.

The little kid who played the role of Bulliraju is a show stealer. The sequences involving him in the first half are one of the major highlights of the film. Animal Actor, Upendra Limaye, got a meaty role as Jailer but his performance is over-the-top and patience-testing at times. Srinivasa Reddy & Sai Kumar generated a few laughs in the second half and made their presence felt. Naresh & VTV Ganesh have good screen space but not much fun was generated from their roles. Srinivas Avasarala in a crucial role made his presence felt and looked believable in the role of a CEO.

Technicalities:

Songs by Bheems Ceciroleo are the biggest highlight of the film. It is refreshing to hear good old melody songs after a long time in a Telugu film and equally refreshing to hear Ramana Gogula’s vocals after a very long time. The ‘Godari Gattu Meeda’ song is sure to turn theatres into concerts this festive season. Bheems Ceciroleo’s background score is also good.

The cinematography by Sameer Reddy is pretty ordinary. The film is made on a shoestring budget looking at the ordinary visuals at most of the places. Editing by Tammiraju should have been better in the second half and also during the pre-interval. The drama during the pre-interval is good but it should have been better with some crisp editing.

Production values by Sri Venkateswara Creations are adequate. It seems the team made a deliberate decision to make the film on a limited budget and it is evident with the production quality.

Positives:

1. Two Sequences Involving Bulliraju In The First Half
2. Songs
3. Venkatesh Comedy Timing
4. Aishwarya Rajesh’s Innocent Performance
5. Pre-Climax Sequence on Venkatesh
6. Bheems Ceciroleo’s Background Score

Negatives:

1. Over The Top Sequences In Second Half
2. Upendra Limaye’s Forced Comedy
3. Lack of Proper Story
4. Logicless Writing

Analysis:

Anil Ravipudi is one of the very few directors in Telugu who scored seven back-to-back successful films. Selecting a simple story and mixing it with enough fun moments at regular intervals is his success formula. He followed a similar approach even for ‘Sankranthiki Vasthunnam’.

The first half of the film passes without any major complaints. The film started slowly and the pace of the film picked once the setup shifts to Y D Raju and family. A couple of comedy sequences and a couple of songs worked very well in the first half and it gives a good satisfactory feeling to the audience. The editing during the pre-interval block should have been crisp though. This entire block is dragged for at least two to three minutes.

The good thing about Anil Ravipudi is that he knows the pulse of his target audience very well. The dialogues he wrote for the wife’s character and the innocent sequences he conceived involving husband and wife characters are sure to work out very well among his target audience, that is the families. Especially, the married women are sure to relate with Aishwarya Rajesh’s character and are likely to like her character immensely.

The real problem with the film is the lack of a proper story and over-the-top forced comedy in the second half. There are a few laughs generated in the second half but on the whole, the writing in the second half looked rushed, forced, half-baked and loud. Upendra Limaye’s character in the second half did not work as expected due to poor writing and the loud performance. It seems like the deadline to release the film for ‘Sankranthi’ was not given to the team enough time for writing. Also, the sudden inclusion of ‘Social Message’ related to teachers out of nowhere during the climax of the film seems unnecessary and doesn’t sync well with the rest of the film. Ravipudi and the team should have written and conceived at least one hilarious block on Bulliraju’s character in the second half just like how they used his character in the first half.

You may have to stop using your thinking brain throughout the film and excuse the over-the-top loud comedy in the second half to get entertained. Overall, Sankranthiki Vasthunnam is a decent passable entertainer to watch in theatres with family.

Sankranthiki Vasthunnam – Passable Entertainer

Rating: 2.75/5

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