Review of Rose Plays Julie (2021) by Wulfsten — 29 Sep 2021

This is an extremely mannered, stylised film. The people in it don't feel like real people, and they don't talk like real people. They are archetypes, gliding around the grim Irish and British settings on inevitable collision courses.

The film also doesn't really try to present any twists or unexpected developments - if you saw the trailer you will know exactly how the film will go. The subject matter is upsetting, but the subtext essentially boils down to the idea that being raped (or being the product of rape) is nothing to be ashamed of, and that rapists should probably be put down like animals.

It's not even really a revenge thriller because it doesn't seem particularly interested in the texture or consequences of revenge - again, this is all presented as an inevitable resolution. That said, it's almost worth the price of admission just to see a few scenes where Ann Skelly's rage and hurt breaks through the general torpor of her performance.