Red Rooms (2024) Plot Summary & Ending Explained

In the bustling city of Montreal, a captivating yet chilling story unfolds as fashion model Kelly-Anne finds herself deeply entangled in the notorious trial of Ludovic Chevalier, a man facing grave accusations of broadcasted murder involving three innocent teenage girls in what has come to be known as the "Red Room"—a seedy corner of the dark web where audiences pay to witness horrific snuff films. With the case garnering sensational attention from media outlets and countless "fans" of Chevalier who believe in his innocence due to his seemingly gentle disposition, the situation serves as a perfect storm for a gripping narrative of obsession, ethics, and the human psyche.

Despite the FBI having provided evidence, including two snuff films, that link Chevalier to these heinous acts, the killer’s use of a balaclava raises doubts about his identity. Indeed, disturbing evidence looms: the discovery of the girls’ remains in Chevalier's backyard adds another layer of complexity to the unfolding drama. As the courtroom becomes a spectacle, Clementine, a young woman drawn to the courtroom proceedings, strikes up an unexpected friendship with Kelly-Anne. This bond forms after Clementine—who journeyed to Montreal from afar, motivated by a desire to witness the trial—reveals her own challenging circumstances, including her stay in a local homeless shelter.

As the two women grow closer, the contrasts in their personalities become stark: while Clementine passionately defends Chevalier’s character, insisting that his innocence must be proven, Kelly-Anne maintains a colder, more analytical stance. She reveals her unconventional source of income through online gambling and unveils her tech-savvy nature as the programmer behind her own AI, Guinevere. Yet, hidden beneath the surface, Kelly-Anne has embarked on a far more sinister path by cyber-stalking Francine Beaulieu, the grieving mother of Camille Beaulieu—the youngest victim whose snuff video remains elusive to authorities.

As the trial progresses and the tense moment approaches for the court to watch the notorious snuff films, Clementine's hopes of vindication for Chevalier are shattered when she learns that only the families of the victims will be allowed into the courtroom. Upset by her exclusion, she confides in Kelly-Anne about her desire to view the films, believing they could exonerate Chevalier. However, Kelly-Anne harbors a dark secret; unbeknownst to her new friend, she has already ventured onto the dark web to obtain the films. When the pair returns to Kelly-Anne's apartment to watch the videos together, revealing the masked killer's unmistakable blue eyes and unique gait identical to Chevalier, the harsh reality shatters Clementine’s hopeful naivety as she succumbs to tears over both the brutality of the content and the devastation of realizing the truth of Chevalier's guilt. Faced with this unbearable revelation, Clementine decides to abandon the trial, seeking solace away from the horrid spectacle.

The tragic turning point occurs on Chevalier’s birthday when Kelly-Anne provocatively dons a schoolgirl uniform, resembling the attire of Camille at the time of her murder, complete with a wig and colored contact lenses, in a shocking stunt meant to draw attention to the courtroom. As she is forcibly removed, Chevalier’s eerie wave haunts her, serving as a catalyst for her subsequent downfall; she is subsequently terminated from her modeling agency, her reputation smeared by her impulsive actions.

Determined, Kelly-Anne reaches out to a hacker on the dark web who possesses Camille's snuff film and is preparing to auction it. Successfully validating her identity, Kelly-Anne enters the bidding war, using her gambling skills to outmaneuver competitors and ultimately secure the film. The moment Kelly-Anne views the gathered footage, a euphoric high washes over her, but paranoia soon creeps in as she fears her activities may have been tracked through Guinevere, leading her to dispose of the AI product in a blender.

In a twisted culmination of her obsession, Kelly-Anne utilizes the confidential information gleaned from the dark web about Francine to bypass her home's security system. In a horrifying act, she sneaks into Camille's room dressed as the girl, taking selfies that reflect an unsettling fascination while leaving behind a flash drive containing the damning snuff film for Francine to discover later.

Eventually, news breaks that Francine has turned the flash drive into the police, leading to the undeniable evidence necessary to incriminate Chevalier. As he pleads guilty, the media can finally shift its focus from the trial's sensationalism to the deep scars left on the families of the victims. Back in her hometown, Clementine attempts to reconcile her previous support for Chevalier during an interview, referring to herself as an "ex-groupie" while mourning the lives lost; she can now only think about the victims and the harrowing truths they leave behind.

At the end of Red Rooms, the line between Kelly-Anne’s true identity and her obsession becomes blurred, leaving viewers questioning her motives. Throughout the film, she appears as a detached, almost emotionless woman, highly skilled in navigating the dark corners of the internet where the most disturbing content exists. Her obsession with the trial and the crimes against the three young girls, along with her obsession with Chevalier and the dark web videos, hint at a complex personality that might be a mix of empathy, fascination, and psychological fragility. The film suggests that Kelly-Anne might be a high-functioning sociopath or psychopath—someone with the capacity for extreme acts and a lack of typical emotional responses, yet driven by a desire to seek justice or to understand the darkness that plagues society.

Her relationship with Clem, the fan who romanticizes Chevalier, underscores the film’s critique of society’s obsession with true crime and killers—highlighting how such figures are often fetishized and glamorized, even by those who claim to oppose them. Kelly-Anne’s willingness to go to great lengths, even risking her career and mental stability, to obtain and showcase the videos of Camille’s torture reveals her compulsion and a deeply rooted need for connection to the horror. When she finally uses the videos to confront Chevalier and push the case toward a guilty plea, it feels less like an act of pure justice and more like an attempt to unravel her own inner demons.