'Rosemead' Review
- Cassandra Hager
- Jan 20
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 31
Release Date: 12/05/25 [Cinemas]
Genre: Crime. Drama. Thriller.
MPAA: Rated R.
Distributor: Vertical Entertainment.
The Verdict: A Must-See
If it weren’t based on a real story, I might accuse it of being too depressing to be believed. Unfortunately, Rosemead tells the very true, very tragic tale of a teenager descending into the depths of a mental health crisis – and an ailing mother with no more options. Lucy Lui stars as Irene (based on Lai Hang's true story), who in 2015 killed her son George who was tormented by schizophrenia. Following a terminal cancer diagnosis, Hang made a difficult decision that ultimately resulted in her criminal trial. She would die before a verdict could ever be reached.
As the film begins, Irene and George don’t have much to their names but co-exist as a small but loving family unit. George’s father recently passed away, and Lai is doing all she can to support the pair, including funding George’s visits to the psychiatrist. George is prescribed medication but sometimes skips doses. And as he approaches his 18th birthday, Irene knows she soon won't be able to make him do anything.
In the background of her son’s decline is her own failing health. Lai has been told she has cancer, and it isn’t responding to experimental treatment. The situation takes an even scarier turn when Irene discovers George has been researching mass shootings on his computer. Irene immediately counters whisperings of her son’s emotional troubles with denial, and it becomes clear that her closest friends are meeting George’s schizophrenia with judgement and not understanding. Rosemead is one of those films that leaves you asking, ‘what would I do in this situation?’ And the very thought leaves a stifling heaviness in your chest.
This film is incredibly intense, with Lucy Liu and Lawrence Shou delivering sincere, realistic performances. Rosemead is not just about a mother’s agonizing choice to commit an unthinkable crime. It is about the support – or lack thereof – in the Chinese American community for those suffering from mental health issues. As much as Irene wanted the memory of her and her son to fade, hopefully their story can help prevent future tragedies.
