Horror is considered one of the most luminous stars in the Milky Way of Cinema. Far from the traditional concepts of possession, extortion, and illusion, the filmmaker John Mathis, with his prolonged and progressive experiments in horror, breaks from the stereotype and presents “Where’s Rose,” a heart-wrenching fate of two siblings amalgamated with intense fantasy and harsh reality. This is not any typical scary drama; this haunting tale is sure enough to make you feel uncomfortable and will make you wrestle with horrific and unavoidable social dilemmas. Let’s not drag it out anymore. It is now time to find “Rose” with all the thorns nearby.
Spoilers Ahead
Who is Rose’s Invisible Friend? Is it Really Imaginary?
The story opens with the loving family of Nate (Nick Basta), Mary (Kathy Searle), Daniels, and their two children, Eric (Ty Simpkins) and Rose (Skyler Elyse Philpot), who reside in a small town by the woods. In the very beginning, Rose, an 8-year-old little lass and the youngest pal in the family, is seen talking to some unseen entity in the thicket. She is sad because her loving elder brother, Eric, is about to leave for his university education. The Daniels have a very good bond with their next-door neighbors, the Waters. Dan Waters (Joseph Gray) and Nate are not only neighbors of the Daniels, but childhood buddies, and her daughter Jessica (Anneliese Judge) loves Rose as her own little sister. However, it is clear that Jessica and Eric do not get along well with each other. So, one day, Eric is given a little farewell by his family and friends, and Nate informs everyone that his son is going to attend his dream college, UMW, with a distinguished academic and athletic scholarship. Everyone is excited about Eric’s new adventure, but poor Rose is not; she does not want to be apart from her brother. She leaves the lunch table and walks into the woods. Eric follows and discovers her next to a trunk where he had written Rose’s and his initials. He reassures her that everything would be fine because her big brother would always be by her side. After that day, we see Nate and Mary leaving, while Jessica spends the night babysitting Rose. At that point, we learn that Eric had previously tried to propose to Jessica, but she turned him down, though Eric can be seen opposing this when his pals make disparaging remarks about Jessica. However, Rose is happy with Jessica in her house. Jessica learns from Rose that she has a friend who resides behind the trees. Jessica claims that she believes her even though Eric thinks they are nothing more than her imagination.
Nate and Mary are away from home that night. When the couple return the next day, but to our astonishment, Rose is nowhere to be found. The parents are left confounded, and Mary treats Jessica horribly because she was appointed to look after Rose. However, Eric’s strange behavior soon makes it obvious that something is amiss. Rose is soon saved by the emergency crew without any injury. Her brother has strong suspicions that the girl who has returned is not his sister and may not even be a human at all, but rather something malevolent in humble disguise. The hard and valiant Eric keeps his worries to himself, but his suspicions are well-founded when he notices the abnormalities in his sister. After consuming her favorite bacon, Rose throws up, forgets the name of her closest buddy, and even swallows’ worms that she had dug out of the ground. Through Rose’s walk down the hallway, the filmmaker skillfully conveys the idea that she is new to the house. She is shown to walk just like someone would when exploring a new location. Rose, watching wildlife programs with unpleasant visuals, surprises Mary. She expresses her concerns to her husband, but Nate persuades her that they are baseless and that the sudden trauma she experienced during her disappearance is to be blamed for her current conduct. However, Eric’s uncertainty persists. He discovers something unsettling in her. When he tries to convey that his sibling plainly has a problem, no one pays attention. He searches the bush for answers, but all his efforts are in vain. However, Eric attends a party where, on the dark, chaotic dance floor, he finds Jessica and Rose with her head injured. Eric escapes the gathering out of fear and heads back to his residence. When he notices Rose in the backseat, he loses control out of panic and crashes his car into the sideline concrete. Eric is detained for drunk driving and speeding by a police patrol car. It goes without saying that his family is indignant about his irresponsible behavior, but Eric is devastated by something else. Why does he fear Rose so much? Is Eric keeping any evil secret?
‘Where’s Rose’ Ending Explained: Why Did Rose Vanish? What Happened To That Night?
One unexpected thing about Jessica also stands out here. Despite avoiding Eric, she maintained a positive relationship with the rest of his family. But lately, she has been shutting herself in her room and avoiding everyone. When she unintentionally bumps into Eric and Nate in the cafe, she makes an effort to appear normal, but she is unable to restrain herself and bolts from the venue. Mary believes it to be her fault for treating her rudely while Rose was missing. She therefore asks Eric to look after his sister because they must leave the town the following day. That night, Eric looks through his binoculars at Jessica’s room and discovers that she is preparing to sever her wrist veins. He rushes and wakes her parents up quickly, then follows them to the hospital. Her father is baffled as to why his cheery daughter made such a drastic move. Eric tells the disguised Rose, that he is well aware that she is not his sister but rather a foul supernatural being, the following day after his parents have left. After some argument and strife, a determined Eric moves with a spade in the direction of the woods.
Now that the last spin finally arrives to dramatically alter our perspective after a lengthy period of intense tension and volatile ifs and buts. We observe a distraught Eric toiling in the earth close to the trunk on which he had carved their names’ initials. Beneath the soil, a hand with well-known nail paint is visible. That purple nail polish that Jessica had painted on Rose’s nails is prominent. We are shocked to learn that Eric had murdered his sister Rose and hid her body in the woods. Who is that other Rose, then? We come to understand that it is Rose’s acquaintance, that invisible monster. The filmmaker has illuminated it as the eerie manifestation of nature that comes to deal with injustice. This is the creature who had previously stated that death is natural, but murder is not. Did Eric execute anyone? Soon, we learn that Rose had witnessed Eric attempt to rape Jessica that night. Rose ran and refused to be persuaded, despite Eric’s best efforts. Rose slipped during the commotion and banged her head. She implored her brother for assistance while she was still breathing, but Eric declined. He wanted to get rid of them all because his mind was so confused by the whole event. He did not want to spoil his dazzling future. So, he decided to watch his sister die rather than admit his mistake. After burying her under that special trunk, he returned home, determined to believe the lies he had made up for himself. However, Eric never imagined Rose would return because only he was aware that her sister would never reappear. Jessica kept quiet about her abuse as well, but it was the only thing that drove her to try to end her life. It is now very evident why Jessica put up a wall around her. Additionally, we comprehend how Eric’s chest was marked by a struggle wound; it was nothing but proof of his evil deed. All the inspirational podcasts Eric listened to all day failed to inspire him to act morally, and he ended up raping a girl he professed to love and killing his own younger sister. Jessica was notified of Rose’s destiny even though she was unaware of it, and then she called the police. In conclusion, we see Jessica thrashing Eric with a spade as the cops arrive to take the villain into custody.
Final Words: Not A Typical Horror, Not A Traditional Drama
“Where’s Rose?” is a tragic story of loss hidden beneath the sheer terror of society. In a typical middle-class household, attending a decent school, finding employment, and showing concern for family members are the only things that matter. Eric’s family was also not an exception. Eric made Rose, his younger sister, a promise that he would always be by her side, but what he did was brutal. An adolescent brain that is still developing is far more harmful than anything. We can tell that Eric’s pals were making fun of him for still being unable to get Jessica, but regrettably, Eric took it egotistically. He even used his parents’ absence to his advantage and grabbed Jessica, who was in his house looking after his sister. He became intoxicated, didn’t care about Jessica’s consent, and attempted to assault her sexually. In this way, the director exposed the true terror that exists nowhere but within people. Our hearts are broken to witness Rose unprotected, not even in the shelter of her house, not even by her loving brother.
Throughout the majority portions of the film, Eric is considered a decent brother and a responsible young man, but these perceptions change at the very end. The supernatural interpretation holds that nature has come to punish the transgressor. We all believed something else until the ultimate surprise, which reveals that the terrifying monster is actually the friend who never betrays but is committed to slaying the evil that violates the law of nature. This movie is very well-detailed, with plenty of eerie images, a splendid color palette, clunky conversation, and top-notch direction. Even though the true significance of the story isn’t made clear until the spiral conclusion, it manages to keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time with its creepy atmosphere and fascinating mystery. “Where’s Rose?” is, therefore, better off for being more concerned with actual horrors than fanciful ones. Even if everything doesn’t work out, nothing is more terrifying than witnessing evil develop and reside within someone who appears to be nice and timidly restrained. “Where’s Rose” can undoubtedly earn a spot in your watch list due to its very unorthodox structure for a horror film, spine-tingling suspense, and in-depth character psychology.
“Where’s Rose?” is a 2022 Drama Thriller Film directed by John Mathis.
