Red 11 | SXSW 2019 Film Review

While trying to find a way to pay for El Mariachi, director Robert Rodriguez underwent experimental research drugs at a facility. Separated by color shirts and categorized by numbers, Red 11 were Rodriguez’s identifiers, initiating a particularly horrific film concept.

Red 11 takes 25 year old notes from Rodriguez’s real life experience and enhances them to tell a daunting story of a research experiment gone wrong when Rob (Roby Attal) finds the facility as his last means of paying back a $7,000 debt to the cartel “or else”. Inside, he finds himself battling his own mind to determine whether the lab is truly trying to murder him, or if the drugs are causing him to hallucinate/become delusional. It’s not all bad though, Rob finds himself a cute magenta-colored shirt inside (Lauren Hatfield). Why she’s never named is still beyond me. Budget issues? I kid.

A director who knows his way around creating tension and driving the plot, Rodriguez is back at it again – but this time, attempting to create a film with a budget of only $7,000. Limiting his crew to just himself and co-writer (and son) Racer Max (Rodriguez), the objective seems to be complete and most impressive.

The way the two managed to use their limitations to their benefit and create a powerful scene is what genuinely put me in awe. Without using all of their current resources and finances, and having strict rules in place to follow for their budget and allowances, the father-son duo – against all odds – effectively heighten adrenaline and simultaneously create a level of intrigue in Red 11.

Never did I experience a moment of boredom, partly due to the cleverly shocking stunts, but also thanks to the supporting cast. Spoiler (Pierce Bailey) adds a level of comedy to Red 11, as his character is a bit of a bully macho-man who gets pleasure out of spoiling the end of movies for others, particularly here for Movie Guy (Michael Fischer). But we definitely need to make sure we have a random badass who looks like he should have a leather jacket on while he flips his super cool necklace-knife around (who let him keep that in there?!), Red 7 (a much grown up Rebel Rodriguez, the on-screen Rodriguez son, apparently).

Ever wonder what it’d be like to have the score of a film created real-time by a character whose actual dream profession is to be composer? Great, well we’ve got that too. Alejandro Rose-Garcia is cast as Score – who so perfectly, and not subtly at all, carries his keyboard around with him and has music at the ready for each scene he’s a part of. Not to mention, a perfectly placed Carlos Gallardo (El Mariachi himself) makes the 90’s lover in you squee. However, my favorite casting here has got to be Brently Heilbron as Doc Sock. His line delivery and mannerisms on screen provide for an eerie atmosphere that adds to the internal psychological warfare of our main character Rob.

If you’re a fan of low-budget horror flicks, or if you just like Robert Rodriguez, you’re gonna dig the engagingly ridiculous and fun Red 11.