Red Rose serves up a delicious portion of British teenage horror for the viewer. Maybe not the most original series, but fun to watch. Stay away from social media if your life is dear to you. The series Red Rose shouts this message through a megaphone to the viewer. This teen horror series from BBC Three and Netflix consists of eight episodes of approximately 45 minutes each. Although the story of a deadly phone app plaguing a group of teenagers is far from original, this is still a very nice series.
Lonely teenager Rochelle (Isis Hainsworth, Harlots) doesn't seem to have much of a fun summer vacation. While her friends all fill their days with side jobs and parties, she has to babysit her sisters all summer long. To boost her confidence, she downloads an app called Red Rose, which sends her uplifting messages. But the app turns out to have strange qualities and soon Rochelle changes into a completely different person, with fatal consequences.
To what extent can you call a series like this horror? It's exciting for sure. But scary? That is debatable. Red Rose should not rely on bloody scenes, because they are virtually absent. The series does manage to create an exciting atmosphere. The feeling that the series radiates is also well represented. Every time someone does something, you don't know if that's the real person or if Red Rose is speaking through this person. The makers know how to convey that paranoia well. Whether it's scary depends on what you're used to, but it's exciting anyway.
Red Rose also succeeds very well in portraying British teenage life. The series is set in Bolton, a suburb of Manchester and the makers make good use of the small community. The way the teens party and fill their social lives is quite raw and wild, full of booze and foul language. With this, the makers sketch a great contrast with how we often see teenagers in American series and that is refreshing.
Red Rose excels at building an ecosystem of relationships
The relationships between the main characters are under a lot of scrutiny and Bolton's high school functions as a small ecosystem full of social interactions. The relationships in this ecosystem, and how the story can completely upset this balance, are a fascinating aspect of the series. One moment someone is being vomited by the class, while a radical event brings them closer.
These interactions come across as very natural and the acting performances of the mostly young protagonists help very well. Besides Hainsworth, another big role is played by Amelia Clarkson (Poldark), who plays Rochelle's best friend Wren, and Clarkson does it convincingly. Adult actors such as Adam Nagaitis (The Terror) and Natalie Gavin (Jericho (2016)) are also welcome additions.
The storyline is fun, but full of clichés
What the series does struggle with is telling a cohesive story. This series sometimes hangs together with clichés from every horror story you can think of. Of course, someone is taken down shortly after discovering crucial information. And of course, the great evil is not yet finally defeated after one of the perpetrators dies halfway through the season. At a certain point you know as a viewer that you are often put on the wrong track. As a result, you can also see from miles away which way the story will go and certain elements become a bit predictable. Despite that, Red Rose manages to pack some pleasantly good surprises into the series.
Red Rose may not be the most original teen horror series, but it is still a very nice series to watch. This is partly due to the fun protagonists and the wonderfully exciting atmosphere. Although the story is fairly complete, there are still a number of issues that remain open. The BBC and Netflix haven't said anything yet about a possible second season, but I wouldn't say no to another horror story set in Bolton.
