The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer

The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (2003) — watch online on iFILM — is a TV horror film that serves as a prequel to the Rose Red miniseries, directed by Craig R. Baxley and starring Lisa Brenner in the title role.

Set at the turn of the twentieth century, it tracks Ellen from her society wedding to wealthy manufacturer John Rimbauer through the early years inside Rose Red — the sprawling mansion he builds as a wedding gift. Rooms multiply without workers. Staff members vanish without explanation. The diary traces the transformation: from a sheltered, obedient bride into a woman whose relationship with the house has moved well past fear.

Baxley keeps the period surface intact — formal dinners, sealed letters, Edwardian restraint — and lets the dread accumulate by inches rather than shocks. Solid gothic television, whether Rose Red is familiar territory or not. Stream The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (2003) online on iFILM.