The Blue Rose – Movie Review (2/5)

THE BLUE ROSE is a genre-bending surrealist noir set in the 1950s. I was on board for a long time until it had a slump and lost me a little. It’s artsy but also bold and strong in style – more so than substance. Read our full The Blue Rose movie review here!

THE BLUE ROSE is a new surrealist noir with a genre-bending style. As the movie is set in Los Angeles in the 1950s, it does feel strangely familiar. However, the surrealist part obviously makes it all feel just a little bit off. Very intentionally so, I might add.

For a very long time, I was just enjoying the experience even though it is very much style over substance. I can live with that but something happened with the pace around the third act and I started to drift a little. This is why the rating isn’t higher though I commend it in many ways.

Continue reading our The Blue Rose movie review below. Find it in Theaters and on Digital/VOD from July 12, 2024.

Murder mystery noir in 1950’s L.A.

In The Blue Rose, we follow two very young detectives on their first homicide assignments. Detective Lilly (Olivia Scott Welch of the Netflix Fear Street trilogy and The Sacrifice Game) and Detective Dalton (George Baron) set out to solve a seemingly clear-cut homicide.

However, the rookie detectives will soon find themselves in an alternate reality. One that consists of their worst nightmares. Everything happens during a wild one-night journey in “Hollyweird”. And Los Angeles in the 1950s was a place riddled with murder and corruption.

I loved the vibe and music and was mesmerized by everything that happened. Right up until that final third act where things turned slower and stranger. This was after Detective Lilly speaks about art and says something like “Not all art is meant to be understood, but simply appreciated”

I’m paraphrasing but I also feel quite confident that it was a comment about this movie to any viewers wondering about not understanding everything. It’s clearly meant to evoke feelings more than give explanations, which I am fine with.

Well, to a point, it would appear.

Genre-Bending Surrealist Noir

If the description “Genre-Bending Surrealist Noir” doesn’t do it for you, then you might want to skip this one. Not because it’s bad (it isn’t!) but rather because you need to accept the premise and give in to the surrealist world and story of The Blue Rose.

In some ways, it could be compared to Pandemonium though the style is wildly different, the substance feels similar. Many would likely call this movie “artsy” and “alternative”. And it is. However, there is also more to it and I enjoyed it for a long time.

Plus, having Logan Miller (Escape Room movies, Prey) and Ray Wise (Dead End) show up in small roles – almost cameos, but then most characters would be cameo roles – was a fun part of watching this movie.

Watch The Blue Rose in Theaters or on Digital

George Baron is the writer and director of The Blue Rose, which he also stars in alongside Olivia Scott Welch. He plays the role of her partner, Detective Dalton, and while I found him fascinating, I much preferred her approach to acting.

Oh, I also must mention Danielle Bisutti from the cast. She portrays a key character and is utterly fascinating to watch. Danielle Bisutti never falters and I could easily have watched even more scenes with her. Well, except for the fact that they were often very brutal in some way!

As a filmmaker, however, George Baron is fascinating. The fact that this is his debut as a writer and director is unbelievable as he shows a strong hand and understanding of details.

With the official genres being Horror, Drama, Noir, Thriller, and Mystery it does feel very appropriate to call this movie genre-bending. You need to just lean back and allow yourself to experience this movie. Appreciate more than understand.

For most of the movie, I was able to do this and enjoy it, but it didn’t last all of the 103 minutes of runtime. A shame really, but definitely an experience I am happy to have had.

The Blue Rose is in Theaters and out on Digital/VOD from July 12, 2024.

Details

Director: George Baron
Writer: George Baron
Cast: Olivia Scott Welch, George Baron, Danielle Bisutti, Nikko Austen Smith, Glume Harlow, Jordyn Denning, Evee Bui, Sophie Cooper, Logan Miller, Ray Wise