Lucy Liu Delivers a Gut-Wrenching Performance in New Look at Festival Darling ‘Rosemead’ [Exclusive]

Parenthood is a mixed bag filled with incredibly high highs and sometimes devastatingly low lows. It’s a difficult job and one that you won’t get awards for aside from the huge payoff of seeing your child grow up and succeed all on their own. But some journeys are harder than others, and things can flip at the drop of a hat, like the story that plays out at the center of Eric Lin’s (The Sound of Silence) Rosemead. Starring Lucy Liu (Kill Bill: Vol. 1), the festival favorite centers on a mother’s never-ending and unyielding dedication to her teenage son, who is going through an incredibly difficult shift in life. Today, as part of Collider’s Exclusive Preview event, we’ve got a brand-new look at the film, which will celebrate its New York debut on December 5, followed by its Los Angeles premiere on December 12.

Showcasing Liu’s character, Irene, our exclusive new look at Rosemead shows just how much fight this mother has put up for the love of her son. While we can’t see what she’s looking at off-screen, Irene appears to be taking in some difficult information, whether it be about her beloved child or perhaps something about her own failing health.

Based on a gut-wrenching true story, Rosemead centers around a Chinese immigrant named Irene (Liu), whose health is on a downward spiral. As she looks towards the end of her life and begins to get her affairs in order, a change happens in the personality of her teenage son, Joe (Lawrence Shou), who begins to act out. With one violent outburst leading into the next, Joe is spinning out of control, and his mother is uncertain how to ensure not only his safety in the future after she’s gone, but the safety of those with whom he might come into contact. On top of everything, Irene is forced to deal with outside pressures from the Chinese American community as she struggles to keep her own house in order.

‘Rosemead’s Festival Praise

Already starting things off with a bang, Rosemead has been a festival favorite and garnered a multitude of awards for Liu at events including the Philadelphia Film Festival, Belfast Film Festival, Miami Film Festival, and more. Penned by Marilyn Fu (The Sisterhood of Night), the film also features performances from Orion Lee (Only You), Madison Hu (The Boogeyman), and James Chen (The Walking Dead). In addition to directing, Lin also serves the project as an executive producer alongside Theo James, Julia Xu, San Demetrio Arte, Chris Argentieri, Frank Shyong, Jamie Lin, Peng Zhao, Chiling Lin, Je Yang, Daniela Ruiz, and Julia Gouw.