“We say haunted, but what we mean is that the house has gone insane.”

Story: In Seattle, Washington, there’s a house called Rose Red. Owned by the Rimbauer family, it’s said to be haunted. Deaths, disappearances, and other strange occurrences used to happen…until one day, they stopped. Cut to present day, when parapsychology professor Joyce Reardon gathers a team of talented psychics – including a particularly powerful telekinetic named Annie – to “wake up” the house. They succeed. Boy howdy, do they.

Scares: Lots of suspense, ghostly shenanigans, and evil house goings-on.
Splat Factor: it was made for network TV, so? Not so much.

Subgenre: Spooky Stephen King Miniseries
Year Released: 2002
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Original screenplay, though King did write “The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red” as a companion piece.

Trick or Treat?: This relatively little-known Stephen King miniseries does not get enough love. Probably because its history on streaming is spotty – it’s currently on Hulu as of the publication date of this review, btw – and the DVD is out-of-print and hard to come by. But even though twenty years later, it’s kinda cheesy? It’s still a whole lot of spooky fun.

Red is a wild blend of The Shining, Burnt Offerings, The Haunting, and the Winchester House legend. You’ll definitely notice when bits and pieces of these stories are re-imagined into this one, but with King’s deft touch with crafting characters? Every tidbit is yet another issue our characters must deal with…and argue about. These characters feel lived-in for the most part, with only one or two – ones that don’t last long, naturally – getting a briefer fleshing out. Once the house gets going though, it’s wonderful to see all the different types of reactions, and how their backstories play into their personal stories, and how things play out for them.

As for the FX? Oh honey. The CGI is TERRIBLE. Even for the early aughts. It’s right up there with The Langoliers in terms of laughably bad computer effects. I just decided to live with it and enjoy things anyway, though I do remember thinking the CGI was crap, even when I caught this miniseries on it’s initial run. Ah well. To balance things out, the set design and art direction is excellent. That run-down solarium and the overgrown gardens beyond? Creepy, y’all.

The cast a who’s-who of notable character actors and TV performers we’d later come to adore. A baby Emily Deschanel! (I’d seen this miniseries a few times, but never after Bones. So I’d never made the connection.) There’s also a wee Melanie Lynskey, as well as a post-Warlock Julian Sands, and a pre-Halloweentown Kimberly J. Brown. My favorite things about the screenplay and the performers was the way they handled Annie’s autism. Brown plays Annie as a quiet but intelligent girl, who may be a bit childlike for her fifteen years, but whose eyes show an understanding several of the other characters discount. And the connection between Annie and her sister, Lynskey’s Sissy, is one firmly based on love, acceptance, and a solid bond. Sissy understands that Annie isn’t your average teen, yet tries her best to help Annie become the best Annie that she can be. “There has to be a place for the Annies of the world, hasn’t there?” Shut up, you’re crying.

Special shout-out to Matt Keeslar, as Steve Rimbauer, the last surviving family member of the house. His character arc, from wide-eyed pawn of Professor Reardon to caring friend and person willing to stand up and protect the survivors come what may? Steve and Annie are the heart of this story, and Keeslar’s performance goes a long way towards that. Brown obviously does her share of the heavy lifting, but as her character is typically a quieter one, Keeslar has more to play with, in terms of characterization and emotional range.

Seek this one out. It’s perfect for a day when the wind is blowing, the house is dark, and there’s that strange creak coming from…somewhere.

Score: 4 out of 5 pumpkins.