Red 11

{{Infobox film

| name = Red 11

| image = Red 11 film poster.png

| alt = Stylized in black-and-white, a young man, highlighted in red, holds a pill, with the film's title and billing block placed in the bottom of the poster.

| caption = Promotional release poster

| director = Robert Rodriguez

| writer = {{Plainlist|

Robert Rodriguez
Racer Rodriguez

}}

| based_on = {{Based on|Rebel Without a Crew|Robert Rodriguez}}

| producer = Robert Rodriguez

| starring = {{Plainlist|

Roby Attal
Lauren Hatfield
Alejandro Rose-Garcia
Eman Esfandi
Steve Brudniak
Brently Heilbron
Pierce Foster Bailey
Katherine Willis
Ulysses Montoya
Carlos Gallardo

}}

| cinematography = Robert Rodriguez

| editing = Robert Rodriguez

| music = Rebel Rodriguez

| studio = Double R Productions
Troublemaker Studios

| distributor = Double R Productions

| released = {{Film date|2019|3|15|SXSW|2021|12|7|United States}}

| runtime = 77 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $7,000

}}

Red 11 is a 2019 American science fiction horror film produced, and directed by Robert Rodriguez. Rodriguez co-wrote the film with his son Racer Max, after previously collaborating on The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D in 2005. The film is inspired by Robert Rodriguez's experiences described in his 1995 book Rebel Without a Crew. The film stars Roby Attal, Lauren Hatfield, Alejandro Rose-Garcia, Eman Esfandi, Steve Brudniak, Brently Heilbron, Pierce Foster Bailey, Katherine Willis, Ulysses Montoya, and Carlos Gallardo.

The film had its world premiere at the 2019 SXSW festival on March 15, 2019.{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/red-11-poster-robert-rodriguez/ |title=Exclusive SXSW Debut: First Poster for Robert Rodriguez's $7,000 Film 'Red 11' |website=Collider |last=Chitwood |first=Adam |date=March 6, 2019 |access-date=January 27, 2020}} It also premiered at the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2019,{{cite web |last=Keslassy |first=Elsa |title=Cannes: 'Deerskin' With Jean Dujardin to Open Directors' Fortnight |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/cannes-deerskin-with-jean-dujardin-to-open-directors-fortnight-1203180491/ |website=Variety |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |date=April 19, 2019 |access-date=January 27, 2020}} the Overlook Film Festival on May 31, 2019,{{cite web |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3558238/overlook-film-festival-heads-back-new-orleans-21-features/ |title=The Overlook Film Festival Heads Back to New Orleans with 21 Features |last=Miska |first=Brad |website=Bloody Disgusting |date=April 26, 2019 |access-date=May 31, 2020}} and the Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival on September 14, 2019. The film was scheduled to be released on the streaming service Tubi in 2020 in the United States, but was delayed for undisclosed reasons.{{cite web |url=https://www.brentlyheilbron.com/blog/red-11-tubi |title=Robert Rodriguez's Red 11 Streaming on Tubi |first=Brently |last=Heilbron |author-link=Brently Heilbron |date=October 15, 2020 |access-date=June 3, 2021}} The film was eventually released on December 7, 2021, simultaneously on several VOD services including iTunes and Amazon Prime.

Premise

Set in a dark, twisted world of legal drug research where college kids become lab rats to make quick money, the film focuses on Rob (Roby Attal) who is trying to buy his way out of a huge debt of $7,000. Given the designation of Red 11, things get surreal when he is not sure if the hospital is really trying to kill him, or if it's side effects from the experimental drugs. Red 11 is based on director/writer Robert Rodriguez{{'}}s experiences in a medical research facility to finance his first feature El Mariachi.

Cast

Roby Attal as Rob
Lauren Hatfield as Magenta
Alejandro Rose-Garcia as Score
Eman Esfandi as Funny Guy
Steve Brudniak as Head Doc
Brently Heilbron as Doc Sock
Pierce Foster Bailey as Spoiler
Katherine Willis as Administrator Willis
Ulysses Montoya as James
Carlos Gallardo as Camacho

Production

=Development=

Red 11 was based on Robert Rodriguez's experiences in a medical research facility to finance his first feature El Mariachi (1993); he had previously detailed this experience in his 1995 book Rebel Without a Crew.{{cite web |url=https://www.filmmakermagazine.com/archives/issues/winter1993/film_for_song.php |title=A Film for a Song: Robert Rodriguez's Garage Movie |website=Filmmaker |first=Peter |last=Broderick |publisher=Independent Filmmaker Project |access-date=June 8, 2020}}{{cite book |title=Rebel Without a Crew |first=Robert |last=Rodriguez |author-link=Robert Rodriguez |year=1995 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d9F23yIbCBMC&pg=PA6 |publisher=Dutton Books, Plume |location=New York |oclc=155845528 |pages=6–11 |isbn=9780452271876 |access-date=January 27, 2020}}

=Filming=

Principal photography began on November 28, 2017, with Robert Rodriguez serving as cinematographer.{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/11/robert-rodriguez-low-budget-feature-film-1201901683/ |title=Robert Rodriguez Will Return to His Low-Budget Roots for New Feature With $7K Price Tag |website=IndieWire |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |first=Kate |last=Erbland |date=November 28, 2017 |access-date=January 27, 2020}}

Release

Red 11 had its world premiere at the 2019 SXSW festival on March 15, 2019,{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/03/robert-rodriguez-interview-red-11-alita-sxsw-1202049328/ |title=Robert Rodriguez on Advice From James Cameron and How 'Alita: Battle Angel' Brought Him Back to His Roots |website=IndieWire |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |first=Eric |last=Kohn |date=March 7, 2019 |access-date=January 27, 2020}} where it was nominated for the Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/03/sxsw-feature-film-grand-jury-awards-winners-alice-for-sama-1202574933/ |title=SXSW: 'Alice', 'For Sama' Among Feature Film Grand Jury Award Winners |last=Ramos |first=Dino-Ray |work=Deadline Hollywood |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |date=March 13, 2019 |access-date=March 22, 2020}} It also premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2019,{{cite web |last=Goodfellow |first=Melanie |title=Cannes Directors' Fortnight unveils genre-heavy 2019 selection |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/cannes-directors-fortnight-unveils-genre-heavy-2019-selection/5138683.article |website=Screen Daily |publisher=Media Business Insight |access-date=January 27, 2020}} the Overlook Film Festival on May 31, 2019,{{cite web |url=http://www.overlookfilmfest.com/films/ |title=2019 Overlook Films |work=Overlook Film Festival |access-date=February 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804191140/http://www.overlookfilmfest.com/films/ |archive-date=August 4, 2019}} and the Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival on September 14, 2019.{{cite web |url=http://strasbourgfestival.com/red-11/ |title='Red 11' at Strasbourg |work=Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival |access-date=February 17, 2020}} The film was scheduled to be released in 2020 on the streaming service Tubi in the United States,{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/robert-rodriguez-thriller-red-11-film-school-docu-series-to-stream-on-tubi-sundance-1202842794/ |title=Robert Rodriguez Thriller 'Red 11' & 'Film School' Docu-Series To Stream On Tubi |website=Deadline Hollywood |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |date=January 27, 2020 |access-date=January 27, 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/317503/robert-rodriguezs-red-11-film-school-docu-series-hits-tubi-this-summer/ |title=Robert Rodriguez's 'Red 11' & 'Film School' Docu-Series Hits Tubi This Summer |website=Dread Central |first=Mike |last=Sprague |date=January 29, 2020 |access-date=February 17, 2020}} but was delayed for undisclosed reasons. On December 7, 2021, the film was released simultaneously on several VOD services including iTunes and Amazon Prime.{{Cite web |title=Red 11 on iTunes |website=iTunes |date=2021-12-07 |url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/red-11/id1593689708 |language=en-US |access-date=2021-12-07}}{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Red-11-Roby-Attal/dp/B09MZQKL7B |title=Red 11 on Amazon Prime |website=Amazon |date=2021-12-07 |language=en-US |access-date=2022-04-16}} The docuseries Rebel Without a Crew: The Robert Rodriguez Film School was released as a companion piece alongside Red 11.{{Cite web |url=https://mobile.twitter.com/Rodriguez/status/1468293393096876037 |title=Today my new thriller Red 11 and its companion docuseries Rebel Without a Crew: The Robert Rodriguez Film School is out on All major VOD platforms |first=Robert |last=Rodriguez |date=2021-12-07 |language=en-US |access-date=2022-04-16}}

=Reception=

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on reviews from {{RT data|count|spell=y}} critics, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_11|title=Red 11 (2019)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}

At its SXSW premiere, the film garnered mostly negative reviews. John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "the biggest lesson Red 11 teaches is an inadvertent one: Even a scrappy, seat-of-the-pants production needs a good script".{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/red-11-1194581 |title='Red 11': Film Review |website=The Hollywood Reporter |publisher=Valence Media |first=John |last=DeFore |date=March 13, 2019 |access-date=January 27, 2020}} Peter Debruge of Variety wrote that the "thriller is a clunky, badly acted, and frequently embarrassing by-the-numbers picture at best, held together with shoestring and paper clips".{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/red-11-review-robert-rodriguez-1203162303/ |title=SXSW Film Review: Robert Rodriguez's 'Red 11' |website=Variety |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |first=Peter |last=Debruge |date=March 13, 2019 |access-date=January 27, 2020}} Griffin Shiller of The Playlist wrote that the film's "narrative is convoluted and often gets bogged down by its on-the-nose meta-commentary".{{cite web |url=https://theplaylist.net/red-11-robert-rodriguez-sxsw-20190313/ |title='Red 11': Robert Rodriguez's Latest Is Part Genre Thriller, Part Instructive Filmmaking Teaching Tool [SXSW] |website=The Playlist |first=Griffin |last=Shiller |date=March 13, 2019 |access-date=January 27, 2020}}