BBC’s Red Rose, directed by Lisa Siwe, Ramón Salazar and Henry Blake, has arrived on Netflix and has left me yearning for more. The British horror drama follows the lives of a teenage group and a mobile phone app that threatens them. No matter what they do, the app stays forever, and they will have to evade the deadly situations created by… well, you’ll find out.

The Series consists of 8 episodes, each running for 40-50 minutes. The storyline is written by prominent scriptwriters like Michael Clarkson, Paul Clarkson, Poppy Cogan, Tolula Dada and Gemma Hurley. All of the scenes are shot in Bolten and Manchester, United Kingdom. The production companies are Eleven and eOne Television.

The official Netflix description of the series reads,

Some apps kill your battery. This one might kill you. In Red Rose, a group of teens in England uncover the chilling truth behind a fatal phone app plaguing their town. The creepy software lures in users by promising to fulfill their deepest desires, but it ultimately isolates them from those they hold close and sparks seemingly supernatural destruction.

– Red Rose Review Contains No Spoilers –

The main cast includes Amelia Clarkson, Natalie Blair, Ellis Howard, Ali Khan, Ashna Rabheru, Harry Redding, Natalie Gavin, Adam Nagaitis, Isis Hainsworth, Samuel Anderson, Nia Roberts, Rod Hallett, Lewis William Magee, Harry Cadby, Emma Fryer, Ruaridh Mollica, Silvie Furneaux, Hannah Griffiths, Jennifer Hennessy, and Ellie James.

The series starts off with a girl called Alyssa encountering a series of supernatural events in her house before she jumps off the building. We’re unaware of who she is and the reason behind her death. While we might naturally forget about her character as we move forward with the series, in the end, we will know how important her role actually is.

Moving on, after the death of Alyssa, we’re shown a group of high schoolers happily partying on the Moores as they’ve finished their last exam. When the friends are discussing their following future plans, Rochelle is the only one who finds the conversation hard as her family situation isn’t at its best.

In the following scenes, Roch gets disturbed as she feels alienated and witnesses something she never expected. Just then, she receives a message from Becky (not really) regarding an app called Red Rose. She clicks on it, and the series’ plot sets in.

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Roch’s Experience

Roch, played by Natalie Blair, did an excellent job conveying a typical depressed teenager’s emotions. While she is also a selfless person who is often portrayed as a happy bee, it is evident how dark her life has been.

Roch is the first person to encounter miserable threats from the app, and she does cry for help. However, her friends get manipulated easily by the entity behind the app. The scenes of Roch are excellently presented. The number of intriguing situations and jumpscares will leave you feeling sorry for Roch.

Wren and Her Friends

After an unexpected event occurs, Wren and her friends are left baffled. Like Roch, she also receives a notification from the Red Rose app, responding to which she responds. The turn of events, the amount of pressure she faces due to her schoolmates, her familial troubles—everything will lead the viewers to break their heads to find who is behind the app.

Truly, the connection between the events won’t let you easily assume who actually is trying to plot Wren and her friends. In fact, we won’t know how Wren’s friends get roped in when they didn’t even download the app. However, while we wonder about this, the bond these friends share will stand out.

It is beautiful to witness friends being beside each other in need. The character of Taz is the critical factor of humour in this series. While the jokes are dark, it helps you to chuckle when you worry about what will happen next. Apart from this, the romance between Noah and Wren is one to appreciate. Noah is such a sweetheart! Oh, Taz and Ashley’s bickering subtle romance will leave you wanting more too!

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Storylines of the Characters

Another exciting aspect of this series is the individual storyline of the characters. As the series involves a group of teenagers, each of their stories seems relevant and relatable. Wren’s broken family and struggle to make things work out between her manslaughter father and mother will make one wonder how terrible this child’s life can be. While her father’s backstory isn’t visible, you will love him, especially at the end of the series. He really did a great job as a father.

We witness Taz’s fear of his orthodox family and Ashley’s business family, who doesn’t pay her. Another interesting story would be Antony’s. Antony’s mother is a drug addict, and he lacks love from her. Due to this, he searches for love outside, and he almost becomes prey to an online stalker. Notably, the character of Jaya is the game-changer. Who’d have thought that this girl would be the actual star of the series?

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On the other hand, we are also introduced to the parents’ stories. Wren’s mother and her dating life, her choices, her hard time with Rick and her Ouija board secret (a great scene to confuse the viewers, truly); Roch’s father, Kinny, his efforts to take care of the twins and his harrowing time coping up with the loss.

Rick, trying to mend his relationship with his daughter and wife; Jacob’s mother who gets emotionally attached to Antony to cope with Jacob’s death, etc. The creators have added relatable content that makes sense to the plot. These additional storylines didn’t feel like it is stuffed to increase an episode’s length.

Red Rose Final Thoughts: The Series is Intriguing!

The more you watch it, the more you’ll feel the fear lingering behind your neck. Every episode ends with a scene that will raise your curiosity. Only in the last two episodes will we find the truth behind the red rose, which takes us back to the first few episodes. All along, we have the clues, but we’ll miss them.

The actors did a great job. Their acting feels natural and not forced. The vibe between the friends, the chemistry between Noah and Wren, the parents’ struggles and such can be felt at its best. The ending, especially, will give chills because we’ll know there’s more to Red Rose, and it’s not the end yet. We’re also introduced to many new characters, and probably in the possible Season 2, we will dive deep into the mysteries of the app.

Overall, the series did justice to the horror genre and will also catch you emotionally. There isn’t any gore or unnecessary teenage drama. Instead, the storyline is built neatly and works great for the ending.

Red Rose is streaming on Netflix, and if you’ve not watched it yet, check it out.

Also, let us know your thoughts about the series in the comment section.

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