DVD review: Red Kingdom Rising (2013)

First of all I´d like to thank Navin Dev for contacting me and providing a DVD-screener for his film.
Red Kingdom Rising is a fantasy horror film inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Mary Ann (Emily Stride), a troubled young woman, has been tormented her whole life by dreams of a sinister figure called the Red King and his morbid fairytale kingdom. Following the death of her father, Mary Ann returns to her family home where she recalls the childhood stories of the Red King and Alice from 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' that her father once read to her. Haunting events and suppressed memories propel Mary Ann through the dark corridors of her parental home into the realms of her nightmares where she must finally confront the Red King and gain closure to her scarred past. Red Kingdom Rising is produced, written and directed by Navin Dev. It´s a very good looking film as it´s professionally shot and edited, there are some very nice visuals on display. There are a lot of visul symbolism,  the soundtrack is fantastic and helps to add to the atmosphere. As usual I try to be rather vague about the plot but that´s because I hate spoilers but it´s well written film and it has a good cast, Emily Stride is excellent as Mary Ann. The sets and locations are good and helps too add to the mystery. There is gore in Red Kingdom Rising and it´s good looking make-up fx and creature fx but keep in mind that this isn´t a gorefeast instead it offers us a fantasy with a dark gothtic theme.
This review is based upon a screener provided by Navin Dev. At the moment the film is only available through special screenings and the film festival circuit.
Rating: 7 out of 7. Red Kingdom Rising is original and interesting. It´s beautifully-made, filled with stunning visuals (often both intense and macabre) and intriguing images. Red Kingdom Rising is the first feature from Navin Dev, he has previously made shorts, and it’s a very impressive debut. I recommend it highly!

/JL