Horror movies have become quite commonplace at film festivals, not to mention weekly releases (there are two this weekend), so not all of them are unique or good, let alone both. Regardless of a director’s affinity for the genre, it takes an extra something to stand out amid all the options for horror aficionados. In her feature-length debut, “Rock Springs”, director Vera Miao, a self-professed horror fan, offers something different by linking an ugly, albeit unknown part of American history to a modern-day tale of grief. While it doesn’t always work, the tonal ambitions of this supernatural thriller are admirable, and the inherited trauma and resilient diaspora on display are noteworthy.

The film begins with an introduction to a trio arriving at a quaint, remote home next to the woods in the eponymous Wyoming town. Emily (Kelly Marie Tran), a Vietnamese-American celloist, has taken a teaching job at a local community college and has moved with her young daughter, Gracie (Aria Kim), who hasn’t spoken for six months since her father passed. Accompanying them in this transition is Emily’s mother-in-law, Nai Nai (Fiona Fu), a first-generation Chinese immigrant who only speaks Mandarin, yet Emily still feels judged by her. Nai Nai seems to be there because she has nowhere else to go and wants to be there for her granddaughter. Not only does Emily have to assimilate into a new environment, but she also has to navigate her daughter’s withdrawal and the cultural gap that comes with living with her mother-in-law.

The three-generation family is grieving in their own way. Emily grieves privately, isolating herself emotionally and hoping her cello playing will provide a form of therapy, but little does she know, the woods next to her backyard will soon be adding to her challenges. Nai Nai had warned that it wasn’t a good idea for them to move during “Ghost Week,” when, according to Chinese culture, the barrier between the spirit world and our world is said to collapse. But that warning probably seemed like yet another criticism to Emily. Also typical of Chinese traditions is communal mourning, as loved ones come together to find healing and pray for the souls of the departed to find peace in the afterlife. But what happens to those souls if no one is around to pray for them? Those who die scared and alone, with no one to guide them?

Any time characters in a horror movie move to a remote location, especially near the woods, and are essentially driving away from a recent loss, you can expect at least a couple of them to go through the wringer. Writer/director Miao primarily uses Gracie (and Emily by default) to tell a multi-generational story of racism, grief, and trauma. Not long after Emily learns that the titular town has a horrible history that they’re trying to move on from, Gracie is lured into the woods by something monstrous.

When Gracie disappears, Miao takes us back to 1885, when a tragedy occurred on the same land. We’re introduced to a village camp of Chinese miners, where we find Ah Tseng (Benedict Wong) and his younger nephews (played by Ricky He, “From”, and Jimmy O. Yang, “Roofman”) playing dominoes (likely Pai Gow or Paigow), enjoying an idle day off working the local mines. Miao and cinematographer Heyjin Jun take us on a tour of the camp, allowing us to witness the camaraderie and unity among the Chinese migrant families through music, food, and traditions. 

Minutes later, Ah Tseng notices a group of armed white miners and settlers making their way toward the village. He is startled when the first couple of his fellow miners are killed, and then it becomes clear why they are here. Mass hysteria occurs as at least 28 Chinese miners (some reports say there were upwards of 50 deaths) are slaughtered by gunshots, knives, and machetes. Without Miao explicitly spelling it out, it’s obvious that the angry white settlers resented that the local mining company had employed these Chinese immigrants in the first place. 

Some of the Chinese miners, like the ones played by Wong and Yang, make a run for the nearby woods, hoping to evade their pursuers and survive the massacre. While there were survivors, these two weren’t among them. What’s worse is that these white miners were never prosecuted for what would become known as the worst mass shooting in Wyoming history – not American history, mind you, just Wyoming.

Now, if you’re like me, and many of those involved in making “Rock Springs”,  you knew nothing about the 1885 Chinese Massacre of Rock Springs. The way Miao presents this sequence of historical tragedy is both riveting and harrowing. However, the way history connects to the modern-day story of Gracie, Emily, and Nai Nai isn’t as compelling. It makes sense that the ghosts of the tragedy still have a need, but in this case, they are connected by predictable tropes of grief and healing.

RATING: **1/2