The US inarguably has one of the darkest histories when it comes to peoples of color, and it’s been a really insightful reminder to see various filmmakers explore such histories through the horror genre. But one group that feels like they’ve yet to get their appropriate due on screen is that of Chinese immigrants from the late 1800s California Gold Rush and Central Pacific Railroad boom, all the way to the present day, with the only notable example being that of The Terror: Infamy.

Which is where Vera Miao’s Rock Springs immediately earns some respect. Best known for creating and showrunning The CW’s Two Sentence Horror Stories, Miao’s directorial debut is certainly full of meaningful commentary on both the ever-present discrimination Asian-Americans face, and the horrifying massacre that occurred in the titular Wyoming city in the past.

And yet, even with some noticeable talent in front of and behind the camera, the movie never quite comes together in a satisfying way. Jumping between two very different stories leaves both feeling trapped on their own little islands, while certain bits of storytelling feel too on-the-nose to the point they lose the sense of subtlety Miao clearly wants to strive for with much of the rest of the film.

Rock Springs Picked The Wrong Story To Focus On

Chronicling two stories centuries apart, Rock Springs begins by centering on Kelly Marie Tran as Emily, a mother grieving the sudden death of her husband who, along with their daughter and her non-English-speaking mother-in-law, moves to an isolated home in the titular woods-surrounded town. As the tension between the three continues to grow, they begin to realize a darker presence is lurking nearby and has ties to the town’s past.

About a third of the way through, Rock Springs then jumps back to explore said history, introducing Weapons‘ Benedict Wong and Interior Chinatown‘s Jimmy O. Yang as immigrant mine workers in the 1850s, living in a community of fellow Chinese immigrant workers. As they ponder life back home and bringing riches back to their families, the settlement’s quiet existence is suddenly rocked by a group of violent European immigrants, leaving a permanent stain on the territory.

If there’s one thing Miao does well with Rock Springs, it’s making the most out of each of her film’s storylines for both emotional and haunting effect. Every moment spent with Emily, her daughter Gracie and her mother-in-law builds plenty of sympathy for their sadness over their family member’s death, particularly as Gracie becomes mute and Emily frequently tries to no avail to connect with her.

For Wong and Yang’s portion, it starts off by carrying the same intimate focus as the Oscars hopeful Train Dreams, offering a brief glimpse at the frontier conditions such workers endured, while also providing some intriguing insight into the motivations behind some immigrants’ decision to come to America for work. This all makes the sudden start of the eponymous massacre all the more impactful, as viewers are left to wonder if either character will survive and be the ancestor to Gracie or her grandmother.

But despite some of the effective build-up in each tale, where Rock Springs really starts to falter is when Miao tries to bring the two together in the film’s second half. Thematically, neither story really feels like a natural pairing with the other, as Emily and her family feel like they’re meant to be about the different ways grief can impact a family and the importance of eventually moving on. For Wong and Yang, it feels as though Miao is primarily dedicated to reminding viewers of the humanity of the immigrants who were massacred and that much of this country’s foundation should be attributed to them.

Even more jarring is when Rock Springs actually starts to delve into horror movie territory. Playing with Chinese beliefs about the afterlife and folklore of hungry ghosts, Miao delivers some marvelously haunting imagery that won’t soon be forgotten. In addition to its mostly effective jumpscares, the actual manifestation of the hungry ghosts is a body horror nightmare that evokes fond-yet-terrifying memories of David Cronenberg’s work. But when put up against the more slow-burning drama of the proceedings, the horror so often feels out of place, to the point that it being the focus would have been the better call.

Thankfully, even if her script never quite sings, Miao proves a very effective director behind the camera on Rock Springs. Working with Pachinko alum Heyjin Jun as her cinematographer, the dreamlike aura of many of its scenes lends so well to the suspense. Additionally, the pair find a fascinating way to capture the world between the dreaming and the dead that feels rich and immediately immersive.

Miao is also supported by having Kelly Marie Tran delivering yet another stellar leading turn. The years since becoming the most underrated performer in the Star Wars sequel trilogy have seen Tran explore a variety of roles, but between Rock Springs and her thoroughly haunting Hulu effort Control Freak, she is quickly finding a good home in the horror genre, as she navigates with ease between Emily’s states of disorientation, grief and fear.

A surprising standout from Rock Springs‘ cast actually turns out to be that of Jimmy O. Yang. Having essentially only played in the world of comedy prior to this, with one technical exception being the surreal mystery series Interior Chinatown, it’s really refreshing to see Yang shed all notions of humor for the film as he instead captures the quiet fear and aspirations of his character in such a powerful way that he, in particular, proves one of the easiest characters to connect with.

As a whole, Rock Springs really is an unfortunate tale of a mixed bag of good elements. Miao clearly had a vision for this film, the themes she wants to highlight are forever relevant and admirable to want to explore, and she has a great cast around her, but in failing to make a cohesive whole of her inherently different halves, it’s hard to ever fully invest in her tackling of generational trauma.

Release Date

January 25, 2026

Runtime

96 minutes

Director

Vera Miao

Writers

Vera Miao

Producers

Jason Michael Berman, Kiri Hart, Stephen Feder, Poppy Hanks, James Lopez, Matthew Lindner, Greta Talia Fuentes, Jordan Moldo

Cast

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Pros & Cons

• Vera Miao’s direction combined with Heyjin Jun’s cinematography makes for some great visuals.
• The jumpscares are mostly effective and the body horror elements are chilling.
• Kelly Marie Tran delivers a powerful leading turn, while Jimmy O. Yang proves a welcome supporter.

• The movie’s disparate tales never really feel like a cohesive whole.
• The pace is a little too much of a slow burn.