©Courtesy of Rosemead

Existing in the limited space between belonging and being an outsider amplifies many people’s emotional journey of struggling with mental health. Their determination to overcome the shame of mental illness is the main driving force of the new crime thriller, Rosemead.

Acclaimed Director of Photography, Eric Lin (The Exploding Girl), made his feature film directorial debut on Rosemead. Marilyn Fuhe wrote the screenplay for the drama.

Lead actress, Lucy Liu offered a career-defining turn in the movie. The Charlie Angeles performer gave the emotional performance after she garnered success as an action star. She dramatically reinvented herself as an immigrant widow in the new thriller. Her protagonist struggles over how to best contend with her son’s mental health issues.

The Emmy-nominated actress starred alongside Lawrence Shou, Orion Lee, Jennifer Lim, Madison Hu and James Chen in the film. Shou played Joe, the son of Liu’s protagonist, Irene, in his feature acting debut.

Rosemead is set against the simmering tensions of a Chinese American community. The story follows Irene, an ailing woman who takes drastic measures to protect her troubled teenage son, Joe. As his dark obsessions grow and time runs out, she’s forced to make impossible choices of sacrifice.

Many immigrant communities either ignore mental health challenges or see symptoms as evidence of spiritual deviance. It can be difficult for those in need to get the help required.

Rosemead approached its subject of immigrants contending with their shame of mental illness with straightforward truth. Liu leans into the consequences of a family contending with mental health in a society that doesn’t accept it.

The SAG Award-winning actress emphasizes Irene’s humanity in her effort in trying to love her son through periods of volatility. But the protagonist tries to protect her family as her cancer progresses and Joe’s 18th birthday is fast approaching. However, she experiences increasing struggles to find the best medical treatment and social approach to her struggles.

Rosemead takes thematic inspiration from the 2011 psychological thriller, We Need to Talk About Kevin. Both movies follow a teenage boy’s mother struggling to come to accept the horrific acts he has committed.

Much like the title character in the BAFTA-nominated We Need to Talk About Kevin, Joe experiences increasingly frequent episodes of detachment, violence and self-harm throughout Rosemead. The new drama realistically chronicles how Joe becomes increasingly intrigued by the real-life mass shooting events in such places as Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech and Aurora, Colorado. But his mother doesn’t know how to contend with the consequences of her son’s actions.

As a result, Irene’s pride and equal shame over her son disrupts their plans of resolution. She initially seeks to keep the truth hidden within their fellow Asian-American community

Based on a true story, Rosemead compassionately captures the various layers — from community rejection to inadequate state responses — that come with trying to find support. The thriller’s intimate scope in a small California suburb over the course of a few weeks into snug close-ups by cinematographer Lyle Vincent. The film’s visuals help make the project a worthwhile portrayal of an under-discussed part of American life.

Throughout the course of the drama, Liu embraces a role that requires her to forgo her usually glamorous appeal and alluring approach to acting. She effortlessly transforms into a more modest character, which is emphasized in part by her oversized sweaters and loafers that were created by by Vera Chow.

Liu’s performance is also driven by her dedication to inhabiting and understanding her character’s state of stress and unease. She emphasizes the character’s sly nature as she tries to protect her son.

Lin visually emphasizes Joe’s experience with schizophrenia during the movie with brief, frenzied montages told though his perspective. Editor Joseph Krings’ exciting edits and composer Will Bates’ haunting music emphasize how frightening Joe’s emotions and thoughts can be in his tense environments.

Rosemead ultimately proves to be a poignant, unflinching portrait of a family fighting to support each other under the pressure of stigma, fear and unspoken grief. Lin’s assured directorial debut and Fu’s sensitive writing offered Liu the opportunity space to deliver one of the most vulnerable, commanding performances of her career. Her performance proves she’s not just as an action icon, but as an actor capable of profound emotional depth.

By rooting its tension in the often-overlooked realities of life for Asian American immigrants, the drama broadens the cinematic conversation around mental health, cultural expectation and parental love. Both intimate and far-reaching, Rosemead emphasizes how everyone’s need for compassion, especially from their families, communities and themselves is both universal and urgently necessary.

Overall: A-

Rosemead had its World Premiere in the U.S. Narrative Competition at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. The drama is now playing in New York theaters. Vertical will release the movie in Los Angeles theaters, and then in theaters nationwide on January 9, 2026.

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Here’s the trailer of the film.