Lucy Liu’s Rosemead Opens in Limited Release to Acclaim for Performances and Critique of Tone

Overview

• Vertical launches the true‑story drama in U.S. theaters starting Dec. 5, with New York opening today and Los Angeles set for Dec. 12.
• Lucy Liu stars as Irene and also produces, with Eric Lin directing from a screenplay by Marilyn Fu adapted from Frank Shyong’s 2017 Los Angeles Times reporting.
• Critics describe the film as relentlessly bleak and often heavy‑handed, noting melodramatic turns even as they acknowledge its seriousness of intent.
• Reviewers widely praise Liu’s committed lead turn and cite newcomer Lawrence Shou’s portrayal of Joe as a standout for its humanity.
• Coverage raises concern that the narrative risks reinforcing stigma by linking schizophrenia to violence despite an on‑screen acknowledgment that such violence is rare.