Arriving on British screens in August 2022, and on Netflix for global audiences last week, Red Rose is the Bolton-based horror series taking the genre by storm. It has been compared to cult horror film It Follows, renowned as one of the best genre films of the last 10 years, and the infamous Black Mirror, the often dark psychological British series confronting modern life in a dystopian style – so it has a lot to live up to.
In Red Rose, a ragtag crew of teens must survive a summer of terror after downloading an app that makes dangerous demands with deadly consequences, so you can see how the Black Mirror comparison comes in, combined with a feeling of classic teen slashers like Friday the 13th and Halloween.
The gripping eight-part drama has been climbing the Netflix charts, and today reached the coveted #1 spot, meaning it is the most watched series in the UK on the streaming service at the moment. It is also in the third position on the worldwide chart, only beaten by You and The Law According to Lidia Poët.
One Twitter fan wrote: “If you like Black Mirror, I’d acc recommend watching Red Rose on Netflix, same type beat and a quick series watch”, with another saying: “Ok #RedRose on #netflix initially felt like “It Follows” meets “Black Mirror” but the more episodes go by the more layers appear”, suggesting there’s more to it.
The series has also gained a rare 100% score from critics on review website Rotten Tomatoes, which stands the show in excellent stead.
Red Rose is set and was filmed in Bolton, Greater Manchester – hence the title Red Rose, a nod to the Lancashire Rose. The series was created by Boltonian twin brothers Paul and Michael Clarkson, with Paul saying: “We’ve tried to represent Bolton in all of its different characters. Both the urban side and the natural side, in terms of forest and its countryside.
“Writers do write what they know. We draw from inspirations from real life. This really is a love letter to Bolton. It is partly inspired by ourselves and our friendships and our family stories, some of which we think are very important to try and highlight.”
Red Rose is a real example of how regional film and TV making can be truly successful, and not just in the UK. It’s no wonder that Bolton is known as the ‘Hollywood of the North‘, and here’s to many more Northern success stories!