Bleeding

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.

Gritty, grim and emotionally grounding!

Andrew Bell's latest movie is a roller coaster of emotions and a perfect allegory for the drug crisis in the States. His story follows two cousins whose lives get intertwined with drugs and all the confusion, violence and gore that follows.

The movie does great justice in portraying a new take on vampires and the state of the nation. It resonated a lot with me, who lost someone near and dear to my heart due to OD. I was particularly blown away by lead actor portraying Eric. He was compassionate and moving without being over the top.

Excited to see what these guys do next. 10/10.

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.

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.