- Release year: 2026
- Director: Craig Conway.
- Producers: Paul Murray and Daniel Patrick Vaughan.
- Screenplay by: Peter Stylianou.
- Cinematography by: Daniel Patrick Vaughan.
- Music by: Roma Yagnik.
Synopsis: a girl returns to her grandmother’s state after the death of her mother. She slowly realises that there are dark secrets hidden behind the supposed luxury of her new lifestyle.
Shotgun Commentary: entertaining and enraging. Some red, plenty riding, no relevant hoods.
Review
Red Riding is a convoluted eat-the-rich story that hints at a childhood story that never actually comes. It would be called “A potato in Glasgow West”, and it would have had about as much in common with the story as its original title. So if you are hoping for a modern remake of Red Riding Hood, jog on.
The feature follows Redele (Victoria Tait), a teen girl whose mother overdoses, leaving her with no one but her grandmother. She moves from the city back to the old woman’s country estate. Soon, she realises how strange everyone around her is and begins to reconsider all the information about her mother that she used to think of as facts. Like how her “car accident” might not have been an accident at all, or how there might be something more sinister behind her drug addiction.
The ugly truth
Now, full disclosure, you might go on a bit of a ride with this one. At least, yours truly did. Said ride begins with you trying to recognise each character from the original story in the characters you see on screen. As the movie gets wackier and bloodier, you will eventually just go along with it and allow the reveals to come at their own time.
That is when things get REALLY extra, and this is a very key moment that a lot of overthinkers out there might recognise. You think, “Wow, rich people are abusing kids and eating them? That’s a little too much, no?” And then reality shows up to slap you in the face, and you realise that, in fact, this story is low-key mild compared to the real-life horrors that we have learnt about in the past couple of years. Which makes the film seem a lot less dramatic but kind of destroys your soul a little.
The vibes
Chillingly realistic narrative aside, the film does shine in other departments. One of which is the photography. Despite not giving much protagonism to the iconic red hood that everyone would expect from a movie called Red Riding, there is an obviously intentional and thoughtful use of the colour red. It appears in the tinting of lights, in props, and, obviously, in the blood that covers a lot of the scenes. It is so present that one finds oneself not really missing the hood as much as one would expect to.
What one might be missing or, at the very least, puzzled about, is the shocking lack of nature shots for a movie with a big forest motive that is shot in the Scottish Highlands. That is not to say it does not have any, but the low number is definitely curious. In fact, it limits itself to showing whatever bits and pieces of forest are absolutely crucial for the story. A practical approach that contrasts with the usual nature-documentary-looking movies filmed in Scotland that end up being more about the scenery than the characters living the story.
Final touches
Another practical detail that has won this critic’s heart is the use of classical music for the soundtrack. You gotta love a good thrifty move, and that one is simple and effective. This music is usually quite low-cost, and it fits fabulously well with old-money locations. As such, the decision to use this music for the film is definitely the smartest move of the whole production.
All in all, Red Riding is an interesting fairytale-inspired horror film that is worth the watch if you’re a horror buff. Do not watch it solely for the sake of seeing Scotland—because you won’t get much of it other than the straight-outta-Glasgow-looking supporting characters—but do watch it if you are in the mood for a little f*cked-up story.
Red Riding had its World Premiere at FrightFest Glasgow, as part of the Glasgow Film Festival programme on Saturday 7th of March. It will be out in cinemas on the 13th of March.
Advice to take from this movie:
- Never trust rich people.
- Good intentions don’t always bring good results.
- Sometimes you gotta cut a b*tch.
What’s your take? Have you watched Red Riding? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message on my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀