💔Rosemead (2025) — Lucy Liu Delivers a Career-Defining Performance in This Harrowing True Story

“How far would you go to protect the one you love — even from themselves?”

Prepare for one of the most powerful dramas of the year. Lucy Liu returns to the big screen in Rosemead, a haunting, emotionally charged film inspired by a true story that stunned California and the nation. Directed by Eric Lin in his feature debut and written by Marilyn Fu, this intimate psychological drama hits U.S. theaters on December 5, 2025.

🌙 The Story – A Mother’s Desperate Love in the Face of Darkness

Set in the quiet Los Angeles suburb of Rosemead, the film follows Irene (Lucy Liu), a terminally ill mother who discovers her teenage son Joe (Lawrence Shou) is hiding violent, disturbing obsessions. Torn between love and fear, Irene must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect her child — and others — from what he might become.

In a story drawn from real events chronicled in the Los Angeles Times, Rosemead explores the thin line between protection and destruction, guilt and grace.

“It’s not a story about monsters — it’s about mothers.”

This isn’t a thriller in the traditional sense. It’s a quiet storm — a meditation on cultural pressure, silence, and the impossible choices faced by families carrying unbearable secrets.

🎭 Lucy Liu Like You’ve Never Seen Her Before

In what critics are calling “the most transformative performance of her career,” Lucy Liu completely disappears into the role of Irene.

Known for her fierce charisma in Kill Bill, Elementary, and Charlie’s Angels, Liu here delivers a heartbreaking portrait of vulnerability — a woman confronting mortality, motherhood, and moral collapse in the same breath.

Lawrence Shou makes a powerful debut as Joe, her tormented teenage son whose internal battles threaten to tear the family apart. The supporting cast includes:

Actor	Character
Lucy Liu	Irene
Lawrence Shou	Joe
Orion Lee	Charles
Jennifer Lim	Kai-Li
Madison Hu	Jeannie
James Chen	Dr. Hsu

“Lucy Liu delivers a haunting, career-defining turn — both fierce and fragile.”

🎥 Behind the Camera – Eric Lin’s Visceral Directorial Debut

Directed by Eric Lin, Rosemead marks a bold and emotionally fearless debut for the filmmaker, whose background in cinematography (The Sound of Silence) brings a striking visual intimacy to the story.

Lin captures the suffocating quiet of suburban homes, the weight of unspoken family trauma, and the tender, tragic beauty of love that hurts as much as it heals.

Screenwriter Marilyn Fu (The Honor List) adapts the screenplay from a 2017 LA Times column by journalist Frank Shyong, grounding the film in the real lives of Chinese American families grappling with generational conflict and cultural stigma.

“I wanted to tell a story about love that becomes dangerous — and how silence can destroy a family.” — Eric Lin

🌆 A Deeply American Story with Chinese Roots

What sets Rosemead apart from most family dramas is its perspective — a rare, unflinching portrayal of a Chinese American household navigating love, identity, and fear in a country that often misunderstands them.

Shot in both English and Mandarin, the film weaves cultural duality into its DNA — exploring not just what it means to be a parent, but what it means to be human in the face of impossible choices.

Rosemead is produced by The Population, LA Times Studios, and Untapped, with Vertical distributing the film in the U.S.

🎬 Film Details & Release Info

Detail	Information
Title	Rosemead
Director	Eric Lin
Screenplay	Marilyn Fu
Based on	2017 LA Times column by Frank Shyong
Producers	Mynette Louie, Andrew D. Corkin, Lucy Liu
Starring	Lucy Liu, Lawrence Shou, Orion Lee, Jennifer Lim, Madison Hu, James Chen
Cinematography	Lyle Vincent (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night)
Music	Will Bates (The Magicians)
Runtime	97 minutes
Languages	English, Mandarin
Premiere	Tribeca Festival – June 6, 2025
U.S. Release	December 5, 2025 (Vertical)

🌟 Early Praise from Tribeca 2025

Following its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival, Rosemead earned overwhelming acclaim for its realism, emotional precision, and Lucy Liu’s magnetic performance.

⭐ “Lucy Liu commands every frame — devastating, humane, unforgettable.”

⭐ “Eric Lin’s debut is a quiet earthquake — where grief, guilt, and grace collide.”

⭐ “A masterpiece of moral tension and maternal love.”

The film has already sparked early awards buzz for Liu’s transformative role and Lin’s powerful direction, with many calling it a sleeper contender for Best Actress and Best First Feature in the upcoming award season.

💥 Themes That Cut Deep

At its heart, Rosemead is a story about survival — not just physical, but emotional and moral.

• 🩸 Motherhood & Morality: How far can love stretch before it breaks?

• 🧠 Mental Health & Silence: A raw exploration of stigma in Asian American families.

• 🌏 Cultural Pressure: The burden of perfection, the fear of shame, and the cost of saving face.

• 💔 Truth & Consequence: When protecting someone means destroying everything else.

🔥 Why “Rosemead” Is One of 2025’s Must-Watch Dramas

💫 Lucy Liu’s Oscar-Worthy Performance — A fearless, soul-baring transformation.

🎥 Eric Lin’s Stunning Debut — A visual and emotional masterstroke.

📰 Based on a True Story — Adapted from real events that shocked the LA community.

🧩 Cross-Cultural Depth — A film that bridges identity, tragedy, and redemption.

🎞️ Emotional Impact — A 97-minute gut punch that lingers long after the credits roll.

💭 Final Verdict — A Quiet Storm That Will Stay With You

Rosemead isn’t loud. It doesn’t scream. It whispers — until it breaks your heart.

Lucy Liu’s performance as Irene will be remembered not for her strength, but for her surrender — the ache of a mother who can’t save what she loves most.

“In her silence lies the loudest cry you’ll hear in cinema this year.”

🎬 Rosemead — In Theaters December 5, 2025.A Vertical release. Directed by Eric Lin. Starring Lucy Liu in a career-defining role.