Cast & Crew

Original title Rosemead

Category Feature

Running time 97 min.

Language English, Chinese

Nationality USA

Local Release 2025 Dec 5

Production status Completed

Sales Territories WORLDWIDE excluding US Rights (US / Domestic Distributor: Vertical)

Logline

In a race against time, ailing mother Irene (Lucy Liu) uncovers her teenage son’s violent obsessions and takes increasingly desperate, morally complex steps to protect him and possibly others, in this portrait of a Chinese-American family.

Synopsis

Rosemead is based on a true story. Irene, a terminally ill Chinese immigrant, lives in the San Gabriel Valley (Los Angeles area) and faces a profound crisis: her teenage son Joe is exhibiting alarming symptoms—withdrawal, obsession with school shootings, disturbing drawings, and erratic behavior. As Irene’s health deteriorates, she tries to maintain normalcy but becomes increasingly alarmed and desperate as the signs grow more violent. She struggles with her own guilt, cultural pressures, and the fear that she may have to do something irreversible to protect him or those around him. The film navigates themes of mental illness, motherhood under pressure, cultural stigma, and the limits of a parent’s agency.