Kicking Blood

This is a stylish, moody take on the vampire genre that I did not think I would like as much as I did. One of the reasons I liked this film more than I thought I would, was the element of addiction and sadness meshed with the vampire storyline, which created a strong dynamic.

The acting was convincing- the main actress Alanna Bale reminds me of Sidney Sweeny- and her interactions with the supporting actor (a troubled 30 something alcoholic) were moving and meshed well with the plot.

The pace of the film was a bit slow, but it matched the overall tone well. Also, as previous reviewers noted, there was not a real background on the characters, but I did not feel that it took away from the story.

Not every vampire film needs to be like Blade. This film reminded me of another great vampire film "Only Lovers Left Alive".

This is not the film for you if you are looking for gory, action-packed violence. But if you want a good story with good acting and strong emotions, this is for you.

Above Average [6/10]

Cheap, not even fake vampire teeth or gushes of blood (just a little red painted trickle on the chin). Even the neck bite scenes were hidden from the viewer as if they couldn't afford the CGI or prosthetics. No bats; no coffins. Maybe the writers felt that viewers had already seen those essentials 1000s of times.

Dig the poster, wish the movie had similar visual style. The production value looks like they used equipment from the 90's and the acting talent seems fresh out of acting school. Ah gives me the feeling of a student film to be honest. A real low budget feeling...was painful to watch...I think watching a kid's elementary school production would be more interesting. The lead actress reminds me of a slightly older Kiernan Shipka, so that was a plus.

I thought this was gonna be bad, but surprisingly it was not. The acting is very good, especially Alanna Bale, she is doing a very good job. Luke Bilyk is also good and you can really feel the emotion between the two main characters.

The director have done a great job with the mood of the film. It is a bit slow but it fits the plot very good.

The film is a bit short and there is no time for backstories or any kind of explanations, but I did not feel I needed that.

Definitely worth a watch.