'Red Rose' Review: Potent enought thriller to make you have second thoughts about technology
Spoilers for 'Red Rose'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: If you are a fan of realistic fiction and want to watch a series that would give you some food for thought, then Netflix brings you 'Red Rose'. Netflix is no stranger to producing unapologetic series like 'Black Mirror', where AI combined with corrupt minds of people serve you a world that gives you plenty to think about.
And series and movies based on a similar concept are increasing, with Daniel Radcliffe and Samara Weaving starrer 'Guns Akimbo' being a great example. The movie deals with the world of dark web society, where streamers on the website enjoy the real-life version of deaths much like on video games. And combining the two concepts is the series 'Red Rose', a BBC Three original, now streaming internationally on Netflix.
Created by Michael and Paul Clarkson and directed by Lisa Siwe, Ramón Salazar, and Henry Blake, 'Red Rose' stars an ensemble cast including Amelia Clarkson as Wren Davis, Natalie Blair as Ashley Banister, Ellis Howard as Antony Longwell, Ali Khan as Tariq 'Taz' Sadiq, Ashna Rabheru as Jaya Mahajan, Harry Redding as Noah Royston, Natalie Gavin as Rachel Davis, Adam Nagaitis as Rick Bennett, Isis Hainsworth as Rochelle Mason and Samuel Anderson as Vinny Mason. 'Red Rose' tries to speak about the red flags that come with technology, teenage mindset and the alarming ramification of such technological advancements in this 8-part series.
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The mysterious app
Set in Bolton, 'Red Rose' begins with the story of a bunch of high schoolers, who have just completed their finals and are celebrating. We follow the group 'Dickheads' that consists of Wren Rochelle, Ashley, Antony, Taz and Noah. Rochelle, the unofficial head of the group, receives a mysterious link to an app called Red Rose. And at first, the app seems to solve her problems, like paying for electricity and giving her the party wear she needs. But things start to go south when the app starts to blackmail her into doing things that wreck her friendships and eventually her life. The rest of her friends try to find out the reason for Rochelle's death, unaware of the powerful threat that lies before them.
Questionable choices
There are a lot of instances where 'Red Rose' missed the obvious options. Many of the choices made by the 'Dickheads' are questionable and at times daft. For instance, when Rochelle is dared to kiss Noah, she could've told any of her group, or even her best friend from childhood Wren, whose boyfriend she was about to kiss. She could've avoided the entire conflict by speaking to her face-to-face the minute 'Red Rose' starts to blackmail her. Her delayed revelation only made her look like a liar, which caused her to drift from the group. And for a group of people that claims to watch Netflix, it takes them more than normal hours to figure out that it is the deadly app and not ghosts as they've suspected. These poor choices drag the beginning of the story but once the stakes are established, the story moves in a fairly engaging and entertaining way.
The inconsistent tone
Another major issue with 'Red Rose' is the tone of the series. What should have been a serious and nail-biting thriller hits a few bumps along the way with the introduction of jokes with the intention of comic relief. The banter by Ashley and Taz is often placed immediately after establishing a serious threat, diluting the conflict and minimizing the empathy that one feels for the characters. On the other hand, when the origin of this deadly app is presented, the story is convincing and gripping, adding weight to the story. However, when the programmer easily gives up the powerful code, which he has been using to spy on his girlfriend, to a stranger on the group chat without a second thought makes us wonder.
Laudable performances
The settings and establishment of the world are believable and take us to Bolton itself. All things apart, it is the performances from the lead cast that add an additional layer to the series. They perfectly convey the intended tension required for the story. The complexity of the relationship between the character and how it weaves into the main story is greatly handled. The core theme and the dark minds of people portrayed here are too close to reality and have a strong possibility to be real, making the theme more deadly.
Despite the flaws, 'Red Rose' has managed to deliver what the makers intended. And if you can bear the occasional drag in the plotline, 'Red Rose' is a good choice for one to binge-watch.
'Red Rose' will be streaming on Netflix from February 15, 2023.