Rose Red (2002) is an Underrated and Haunting Miniseries

Some houses are born bad.

Rose Red is a 2002 TV miniseries that follows Dr. Joyce Reardon and a team of psychics as they investigate the mysteries of the infamous mansion Rose Red in Seattle, Washington. As they delve deeper into the mansions' secrets, they’re confronted by supernatural forces that test their sanity.

Long ago, I watched Rose Red with my family while camped in the dark woods of New Hampshire. I have been trying to find this miniseries and rewatch it for a while now. Stephen King’s Rose Red is a gripping tale surrounding a group's dynamics and the mansion's unsettling powers.

The Rose Red miniseries has a strong group of actors playing a diverse group of characters. Nancy Travis is memorable as Joyce Reardon, a professor who conducts research for Rose Red until she slowly loses her mind to the dark spirits in the mansion.

The cast created strong dynamics with one another and did an outstanding job assembling their characters. Kimberly J. Brown evoked an authentic portrayal of autism. Annie has a strong psychic connection with Rose Red. Rachel (Melanie Lynskey) is a wonderful big sister to Annie, looking out for her no matter what.

Emery was annoying at times which Matt Ross perfected. The ensemble cast features notable performances by Matt Keesler, Judith Ivey, Julian Sands, Kevin Tighe, Julia Campbell, and Emily Deschanel. Sadly, David Dukes (Professor Carl Miller) passed away unexpectedly during filming. A double was used for any remaining sequences in the climax.

The actors delve deeply into their characters' psyches, enabling nuanced and emotional performances. Most of the first half of the miniseries is the history of Rose Red and the people who lived there.

It’s a dialogue-heavy film which makes it exciting for the characters. Character interactions are important in Rose Red. Please pay attention to every piece of dialogue because it’s easy to miss information.

The horror of Rose Red is more subtle at times. The haunted house setting maintains a foreboding atmosphere. The story unfolds gradually, immersing viewers in a world where the mansion's malevolent abilities slowly take control of the team, exploiting their deepest fears and desires.

Rose Red is a teleplay by Stephen King, my favorite horror author. King chose to write Rose Red as a miniseries because it allowed him to branch out to a bigger audience. There are noticeable references to his earlier novels, Carrie and The Shining. Not only did he have a hand in writing the miniseries but he also has a fun cameo.

Craig R. Baxley notes that working on Rose Red is the best project of his career. He displays a keen understanding of Stephen King’s intricate storytelling. King was happy with the final edit. Baxley crafted marvelous attention to detail and heightened viewers' suspense. Rose Red was filmed in the fall of 2000 at the Thornwood Estate in Seattle, Washington.

The special effects have low quality but they are effective. The eerie ghostly manifestations are executed with an impressive level of detail. The makeup effects are impressive for the time. There are creative shots.

Miniseries need to make a comeback. Of course, we have streaming now which makes series easier, but miniseries have a unique storytelling device. You can do more with the storytelling.

Rose Red is a 6 hour miniseries but it is worth your time. Not many people know this film exists so I highly recommend that you watch it while it’s streaming on Hulu. Break it up into portions during your watch. I recommend the miniseries to all Stephen King fans.