Rosemead deals with one of life’s most significant challenges. What happens to our loved ones after we leave? Will they be in a safe position as we depart? The film focuses on a mother played by Lucy Liu, who sees the world that she knows coming to a close. But her son still requires excessive support and guidance.
As a narrative, Rosemead hit closer to home than expected. As a film critic, my worldview is always shaped by the limitations of having a disability. My father battled a terminal illness, and the one concern he had was what might become of my life after his departure. Rosemead tackles these subjects tragically, but it also raises a moral dilemma. And where one falls on that moral line may make or break the film for various viewers.
Directed by Eric Lin, based on a screenplay by Marilyn Fu and additional scripting from Lin, the movie centers on Irene (Lucy Liu), an immigrant trying to keep her son Joe from losing his quality of life. Irene’s son Joe (Lawrence Shou) began losing his grip on reality after his father (Irene’s husband) passed away. Since the death, Joe exhibits symptoms of hysteria and aggression. He doodles elaborate images of death and spiders. Joe also hears voices and demonstrates restlessness, giving the impression of paranoia.
Meanwhile, Irene is quietly battling cancer and keeps her condition secret out of concern for Joe. Her reasons for staying quiet are that her husband’s death has already thrown Joe into a psychological tailspin. Joe’s family psychologist indicates he may have schizophrenia and has a growing concern about Joe’s fascination with school shootings. Furthermore, a social worker presses Irene to consider having him admitted into a psychiatric institution before the age of 18.
The story is based on a real-life incident covered in a 2017 Los Angeles Times article, “A Dying Mother’s Plan,” by writer Frank Shyong. Similar to the article, the film grapples with the moral complexities of a mother named Lai Hang who decided to end her son’s life in a hotel room in 2015. Rosemead’s depiction of Lai Hang (or Irene) explores further the nuances of the final days and why she felt compelled to kill her son, George (or Joe as depicted in the film).
Throughout Rosemead, Lucy Liu frequently performs high-tension scenarios. The role of Irene undergoes an emotional endurance test, navigating the vulnerability of death while trying to understand Joe’s mental health. In a sense, both Irene and Joe have cancer; only Joe’s is manifested through rapidly changing brain chemistry. The story’s tension is effectively conveyed through sequences involving Joe. Filmmaker Eric Lin creates visually compelling scenes to illustrate how someone like Joe might feel as they lose their mind.
Lin‘s visual and sound design choices are highly effective at communicating Joe’s descent from reality. He uses intense, shallow focus to push Joe into an isolated state of terror, with sound mixing that echoes gibberish voices through the visuals. Cinematographer Lyle Vincent (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night) uses different lenses and shadow play to heighten the sense of Joe’s paranoia. The overall execution truly makes the viewer feel empathy for Joe as a character.
Lucy Liu continues her career resurgence after delivering a remarkable performance in Steven Soderbergh‘s Presence. Rosemead‘s heartbreaking story relies entirely on Liu‘s shoulders, and she carries the emotional weight of the film throughout. Some might even consider it one of the best performances of her career. Rosemead also marks the feature film debut of Lawrence Shou, who plays Irene’s troubled son. Despite being Shou‘s first major studio film, he gives a masterful performance as a son struggling with his failing mind, and sharing the screen with Liu makes his performance even more impressive.
Rosemead raises a question similar to Clint Eastwood‘s Million Dollar Baby. Eastwood‘s film examined the ethics of allowing a human to suffer. For Rosemead, it’s hard to be fully on Irene’s side, even if the viewer understands how she reached that pivotal moment. Still, for a first full-length feature, Lin does a commendable job as a director, aiming for a balanced ending that leaves the viewer reflecting on what they might do in the same situation.
However, like Million Dollar Baby, the story itself is a massive kick to the stomach. Rosemead is not the feel-good Oscar-buzzy film that a viewer will want to revisit repeatedly, nor is it aiming to be that type of movie. It wants to leave you with a sick feeling as you leave the theater, questioning if Irene (or Lai Hang) made the appropriate choice for the world she was about to leave behind. It’s a beautifully told, gut-wrenching film about a parent trapped in an impossible position, featuring one of Lucy Liu‘s best performances.
Rosemead will be in theaters on December 5, 2025.
Learn more about the film at the IMDB site for the title.
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