Rock Springs is not always perfect in its execution. However, the historical context adds a heavy weight to the film.
Rock Springs, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, blends supernatural elements with Chinese customs in a story that centers on a family still hurting after a loss. Tying in a real historical massacre, the movie works as both horror and drama. Few movies can effectively blend history and horror in a way that elevates them. Rock Springs weaves creepiness with sorrow, leaving viewers bereft with a wish to change history.
Vera Miao (Two Sentence Horror Stories, Expats ) directs and pens the screenplay. The film stars Kelly Marie Tran (Control Freak, Forge) as the mother, Emily, who relocates to Rock Springs, Wyoming, with her young daughter, Gracie, played by Aria Kim (In the Blink of an Eye). Alongside her daughter, she also brings her mother-in-law, whom she calls Nai Nai, played by Fiona Fu (Lucky Lu, Dear Stranger). After the passing of her husband, the family struggles to communicate with each other.
While there is a language barrier between Emily and Nai Nai, Gracie also stopped speaking. Plus, Emily is Vietnamese and does not understand or have an interest in the Chinese customs, like a small shrine to honor her deceased husband. However, now the trauma that occurred in the woods behind their home awakens. Now, it’ll be up to Emily to save her daughter.
Rock Springs Ties Historical Massacre to Family Loss
While a bit more unrefined, Rock Springs still successfully achieves a haunting film akin to Jayro Bustamante’s La Llorona. It uses horror and the monster to show the monsters of history. It travels back to September 1885. There we see a group of men chatting and laughing. Benedict Wong (Weapons, 3 Body Problem), called Uncle, has been in America the longest. As such, he understands this is a country that hates anyone who is not white. They find any excuse to blame or attack non-white people. Acting in the past also are Ricky He (From, Worth the Wait) and Jimmy O. Yang (Roofman, Love Hard). The massacre is difficult to watch.
This also occurred during what Chinese people call the Hungry Ghost Month, a time when the spirits can roam free. Deceased loved ones can become hungry ghosts if they are not properly honored or die a horrific death. Rock Springs merges grief, Chinese culture, and creature feature horror to show who the true monsters are.
A Heartbreaking History
Rock Springs is not always perfect in its execution. However, the historical context adds a heavy weight to the film. It shows how trauma can embed itself in a location and how horrific it is when that history remains unknown. Plus, the lessons remain unlearned, as shown with white townsperson, Donna, asserting they’re ‘good people.”
Still, as painful as it is to watch, Vera Miao handles the end moments with care. While some scenes are rough around the edges and feel less stylish and more like a college film, the emotional attention she pays to the story is superb. Rock Springs is a poignant feature film, regardless of some pacing and disjointed storytelling, that subverts the fairytale monsters for the real thing.
