Bleeding

I virtually didn't know what I was in for here, as I sat down to watch the 2024 movie "Bleeding", aside from it being a horror movie. And that was essentially all I needed to know in order to give the movie a chance, as I do love all things horror.

Writer Andrew Bell, whom also directed the movie, put together a sluggishly paced narrative, which ultimately failed to entertain me, much less actually keep my interest. The narrative was devoid of interesting things, and 45 minutes into the ordeal, I had just lost all interest in the narrative and the one-dimensional characters, not to mention the mumbling and nearly inaudible dialogue.

I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, not a single actor or actress. Whether the acting performances were good or not, I wouldn't be able to tell you, because most of the dialogue was lost in the mumbling of the delivery or the inaudible murmurs.

Visually, the movie was okay, but nothing I would write home about.

"Bleeding" was a swing and a miss of a movie. And definitely not a movie that I would recommend horror fans to waste 97 minutes on watching.

My rating of writer and director Andrew Bell's 2024 movie "Bleeding" lands on a two out of ten stars.

Struggling to feed his addiction, a man breaks into the house of a local dealer looking to secure a new stash of a deadly drug compiled from the blood of vampires to help distribute over the neighborhood, but when other factors become involve finds that he might be in over his head.

This was a somewhat decent genre effort with a few big issues. One of the better features here is the main setup involving the connection between vampire blood and powers as a cover for the theme of addiction and obsession. Taking over the concept of the drug being a part of the vampire society being taken straight as an obvious stand-in for real-world issues due to the fervent desire to procure it, consume it, and overcome any kind of obstacle in the quest to take it for themselves offers a lot to like as a way of drawing the obvious parallel. With the way others are shown to be affected either physically, personally, or professionally following their addiction to the vampire blood and subsequent drugs that are featured here, the setup here comes off with an intriguing enough hook that allows for an interesting time investing in what's going on with an immensely topical look at the race to keep a handle on the drug that mirrors a more conventional epidemic of real-world drugs. Beyond this, its focus on the effects of addiction and isolation manages to make this one feel rather bland for much of the running time. As we watch the guys go around their lives battling the high that comes from ingesting vampire blood and what that does to them, the implication is that this one is going to more of a dramatic approach going into detail with this storyline. The few attacks here that bring about the bloodshed necessary to secure more of the chosen drug or addiction process that they're fighting under are kept to a minimum with far more emphasis on the commentary involving drug use in the community than anything so it can feel prolonged and sluggish for large sections of the running time waiting around for more traditional elements to come about while waiting through all the different allegories it spends the majority of time offering. That might be the main factor on display with the film holding it back.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, and intense drug use.

This is not a horror film. This is not a vampire movie. This is a movie about drug addiction and those who traffic in drugs masquerading as a vampire/horror movie. There's nothing interesting to see here at all. None of the characters are likable or relatable, and I didn't find myself rooting for any of them to survive. I waded through this hoping it would get better, but really, it was a slog I couldn't wait for it to be over. The relationships - especially the family ones - were all emotionally abusive and in such a clichéd way. The acting was passable, and special effects were minimal, but not even that was enough to salvage this movie.

One of the best horror movies I have seen this year!!

The parallels between the premise of the movie and the drug epidemic are hard to miss. The movie hits the right notes and makes you feel empathy for the main characters.

Eric is exquisitely played, showcasing the struggle being the responsible one and also being driven by the need to be a good son, friend and a cousin.

Sean's erratic behavior and vulnerability shines on the screen. It's intriguing to see his relationship with his dad and how that has a role to play in him being so eager to leave the house and getting into trouble with the bad guys.

"Bleeding" puts a relatively fresh twist on the famous sub-genre by mixing themes of grief and addiction with the classic traits of 'Vampirism', and honestly, it's an ingenious idea that lead them to an interesting outcome.

Not only does it impress on a technical level, thanks to some solid cinematography, but it also manages to bring out performances from the ensemble that go beyond 'serviceable' something you don't always see in low-budget productions.

Now, did they fully tap into the script's potential? Not entirely, but given the circumstances, I think they did a pretty decent job. I just wish the final act had explored the drama a bit more and showcased the aftermath of the 'tragic night' they had to go through.