The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (2003)

(In French, On Cable TV, December 2020) As far as made-for-TV horror movies go, The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer doesn’t do too badly at all. Hampered by a low budget, it can’t quite deliver on its gothic vision of a haunted mansion and a twisted relationship between an oil magnate and a shy woman. The inspiration from the Winchester Mystery House is obvious and welcome, but the film goes a bit further. Adapted from a tie-in novel complementing the Rose Red TV series imagined by Stephen King, it’s chiefly an origin story and a work of atmosphere: if you’re expecting a complete narrative, you’ll be disappointed and have to head over to the TV series. Still, it’s not a bad film if you’re not expecting much: there aren’t that many surprises and you’ll have to be patient in order to let the atmosphere work its magic despite a too-modest budget. Directed by Craig R. Baxley, The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer is handled with some subtlety rather than out-and-out horror, making it a welcome oddity still.