**This post contains spoilers**
Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) probably expected a normal work day. But Rose’s life takes a dark turn during a tragic session with a newly admitted patient named Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey). Laura unknowingly passes a deadly curse to Rose, after she commits suicide in front of the good-hearted therapist. Plagued by a series of strange occurrences and creepy smiling faces, Rose’s life quickly spirals out of control.
Rose can rely on her fiancé, Trevor (Jessie T. Usher) for help and support, right? Well, maybe not. Trevor is noticeably rattled and irritated by Rose’s wild explanations for what’s happening to her.
What about Rose’s sister, Holly (Gillian Zinser)? Rose is still bitter about Holly leaving her alone with their mother, who suffered from mental health problems during their childhoods, so that’s another name to cross off the list of potential helpers. And Holly and Rose’s relationship hits another rough patch, when Holly’s son, Jackson (Matthew Lamb) finds Rose’s dead cat, Mustache in a box that was supposed to contain a toy train set for his birthday.
Noticing a pattern? Rose is relentlessly stalked by an evil entity. She needs help! Or, Rose at least needs someone that’ll listen to and understand her side of the story. Rose’s therapist, Dr. Madeline Northcott (Robin Weigert) tries to reach out after a disastrous attempt at an intervention planned by Trevor. But Rose was already at a point, where she was too paranoid to trust certain people. And the entity fooling Rose by impersonating Dr. Northcott complicated an already bizarre situation.
Joel (Kyle Gallner), Rose’s ex-boyfriend and a detective assigned to her case, tries to help, but Rose just couldn’t conquer the demons from her past. The big one? Rose’s mother. Remember, we’re talking about an entity that feeds on trauma, and Rose couldn’t move on from a stressful and traumatic childhood with her mentally ill mother.
Trevor mentions Rose’s mother and the possibility for a hereditary connection for her problems. Mental illness is in Rose’s DNA, and she’s reached a point in her life, where it’s finally becoming a problem. Trevor’s theory kicks opens another door. Yes, Rose is cursed, but you can understand why others are quick to dismiss her side of the story.
To make matters worse, Rose is dealing with the unbearable stress of being stalked by a relentless entity, AND she’s basically being labeled as a crazy person. Rose’s primary job is dealing with and trying to help people, with mental illnesses, but now she’s on the other side of the finger-pointing. That’s a jarring whirlwind for having your world turned upside down, and you can’t go to your own sister and fiancé for support. Instead, pleas for sympathy and understanding are met with harsh accusations, scolding, and cold shoulders. Rough stuff.
Rose’s story has an ironic and tragic ending. She died in her childhood home, the place, where it all started, and the direct source for the deep wounds from her past, facing the entity in the form of her mother. Rose Cotter was a good person, a selfless workaholic, who wanted to help as many people as she possibly could.
But you could also say Rose tried to push herself too hard. She was burnt out, working long hours, and her boss, Dr. Morgan Desai (Kal Penn) urged Rose to take a break after witnessing Laura’s suicide. Is there a chance Rose could’ve survived the entity, if she had a stronger support system? Who knows, but Rose was a prime target for the curse. Her mind was clouded by a troubled past, and you have to believe Rose dedicated her life to being a good therapist, because she couldn’t save her mother. Help others, fix their problems, be the source of comfort she never had as a child, no matter what. Maybe that’s the best way to sum up Rose’s mindset, but she still couldn’t find the closure she was looking for.
Sosie Bacon delivers an excellent performance as Rose Cotter. You can see and feel everything Rose’s is going through. The short scene, where Rose is getting ready for Jackson’s birthday party shows Rose is struggling to hold it together. You’re watching a frazzled character falling apart in real time, and the close-up shots in the mirror are just perfect.
There’s also something that’s important to remember: Rose could’ve easily avoided the curse. Go back to the early stages of the movie, and you’ll notice Rose is getting ready to leave work. Coat on, door closed behind her…..but the phone rings. And of course, Rose eventually meets Laura. Why did she go back to answer the phone? Because Rose believed she could help one more person before the end of the day, always prioritizing the patients over her own well-being.
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