December 18, 2025
by Carla Hay
Directed by Eric Lin
Some language in Mandarin with subtitles
Culture Representation: Taking place in 2015, primarily in Rosemead, California, the dramatic film “Rosemead” (inspired by true events) features a predominantly Asian cast of characters (with some white people, African Americans and Latin people) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.
Culture Clash: A widow doesn’t know how to cope with her teenage son’s schizophrenia, as his mental illness gets worse in the days leading up to his 18th birthday.
Culture Audience: “Rosemead” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of star Lucy Liu and dramas about families struggling with the mental illness of a family member.
“Rosemead” (a drama based on a true story) takes an unflinching look at the unraveling of a family where a widow feels increasingly helpless about her teenage son’s schizophrenia. The movie also examines cultural stigmas about mental illness. “Rosemead” is meant to be somber and disturbing, as a way to bring awareness to warning signs that could lead to a tragedy.
Directed by Eric Lin and written by Marilyn Fu, “Rosemead” had its world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. The movie, which takes place in 2015, is named after the city of Rosemead, California (a Los Angeles suburb), where the main characters live. The movie was filmed in Los Angeles. The “Rosemead” screenplay is based on a 2017 Los Angeles Times article written by Frank Shyong. The title of the article won’t be listed in this review because it’s spoiler information for what happens at the end of this movie.
“Rosemead” is told mostly from the perspective of widow Irene Chao (played by Lucy Liu), who is the owner and operator of a small shop called I&G Printing, located at a strip mall. Irene used to own the shop with her husband Charles, who died of cancer. Irene also has cancer, but she doesn’t want to tell her 17-year-old son Joe (played by Lawrence Shou) because he has some serious health issues of his own.
Joe has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He is on prescribed medication (which he is reluctant to take) and has a therapist named Dr. Hsu (played by James Chen), who is compassionate and helpful. In the beginning of the movie, Irene resists Dr. Hsu’s advice for Irene to attend therapy sessions with Joe. Eventually, she agrees to attend.
Irene is a Chinese immigrant who grew up to believe that mental illness is a stigma that can be blamed on the parents of the person with the mental illness. Therefore, she feels guilty from the mistaken belief that she caused Joe’s schizophrenia. Irene doesn’t completely believe or trust the American medical way of dealing with schizophrenia, but she thinks it’s the best option under the circumstances.
Joe’s medical treatment is partially paid for through a public funding program at a Chinese cultural center where Irene is a member. Irene rejects a suggestion from her close friend Kai-Li (played by Jennifer Lim) to consult with a shaman to “cure” Joe of his schizophrenia. Kai-Li is one of the few people whom Irene has told about Joe’s mental illness. Irene is Joe’s only family member who lives in the area.
Irene likes to keep secrets, and it hurts her pride to ask for help. Another secret that she’s keeping is that she doesn’t want to tell Joe that she’s selling the shop because she needs the money. In the beginning of the movie, the only people who know that Irene has cancer and is going through experimental treatments for it are Irene and her medical care professional Dr. Renée Carlot (played by Susan Pourfar), who warns Irene that only 10% to 20% of cancer patients getting the same experimental treatment have had a positive clinical response to the treatment.
Joe is in his last year at Rosemead High School (a public school), where he’s been a star on the school’s swim team. But lately, he’s been having episodes of hearing voices and feeling paranoid that someone is out to harm him. During the course of the movie, Joe’s outbursts and episodes get worse. He also makes disturbing drawings depicting monsters and violence.
Joe’s closest friends at school—Stan (played by Anzi DeBenedetto) and Jeannie (played by Madison Hu)—are concerned and alarmed when they see Joe abruptly leave a classroom, and they find him running around in the school hallway shouting, “Get away from me!” Joe ends up committing vandalism by trashing and breaking objects in an empty room that is undergoing remodeling at the school.
This violence is caught on surveillance video. Joe has also been caught on surveillance video sneaking into the school’s swimming pool area after the area is closed and off-limits to students. Joe was given a key the swimming pool room because he was a trusted student on the school’s swim team.
These incidents lead to a meeting that Irene has with the school’s Principal Stephens (played by Dave Shalansky) and one of Joe’s teachers named Mr. Hernandez (played by Jason Tottenham), who is rooting for Joe to succeed. Principal Stevens recommends to Irene that Joe transfer to a school that is better-equipped to handle students with behavioral problems. Irene adamantly rejects this suggestion. But time is running out because she knows that when Joe turns 18, and he becomes a legal adult, she can no longer control what kind of treatment he gets.
“Rosemead” is a “slow burn” movie that sneaks up on viewers by showing how Irene thinks she has certain things under control and her gradual recognition that some things are out of her control. Liu’s performance is especially effective when depicting the shame and denial that people often have when they feel responsible for the mental health of someone they love. Irene uses the fact that English is not her first language as a way to appear vulnerable or strong, depending on the situation.
Shou’s performance as Joe gives nuance to portraying what it could be like to live with schizophrenia. Just like his mother, Joe often thinks he can be in control of his mental illness. However, when he has episodes of paranoid delusions, he’s aware that he’s lost control. And it causes him to spiral even more into despair.
One of the things that Joe uses to cope is a memory of a time when he was 12 years old, and Joe, Irene and Charles stayed in a place called the Sunset Hills Motel while their home experienced a power outage. Joe has a vivid recollection of how happy they all were and remembers seeing his father doing karaoke and dancing in their motel room. Not all of “Rosemead” is gloom and doom. Joe and Irene have a very close and loving relationship and experience some good times together.
However, this family bonding is compounded by their shared grief of losing Charles. Irene’s anxiety about her terminal illness and her fear about what will happen to Joe after she dies add to the pressure-cooker situation, as both Irene and Joe feel like their lives are falling apart. It’s best not to reveal any information about how “Rosemead” ends except to say that this impactful movie packs a significant emotional punch and offers plenty of meaningful things to think about for people who know anyone going through similar struggles.
Vertical released “Rosemead” in select in New York City on December 5, 2025, and in Los Angeles on December 12, 2025, with an expansion to more U.S. cinemas on January 9, 2026. The movie will be released on digital and VOD on February 10, 2026.