The Bleeding House

Apparently a lot of people missed the point on this one. If you need a movie to lead you by the nose and explain every little thing, then don't watch this movie. The premise is really simple - a family, living on a farm on the outskirts of town is trying to find normality in their lives again after a tragedy. When they're visited by a man in a seersucker suit who claims his car broke down, they react predictably - the mother fears the unknown while the father wants to extend hospitality. Initially, the mother doesn't want to take a chance that her desperately normal life would be impacted by the stranger, but, after hearing his eloquent rant about Christian neighborliness in these dark times of trusting no one, she relents and allows him to spend the night. Her motives are clear - she wants to see her family through the eyes of a third party who hasn't prejudged them from their earlier bad acts. Maybe if he sees how good they are, he will spread the word in the community that has ostracized them and they will be accepted back like lost lambs from the wilderness. In order to portray this family goodness, the mother constantly harries the daughter who immediately interests the stranger. As the stranger reveals himself to be a doctor, the mother opens up to him about almost everything but what's wrong with the daughter. Of course the stranger is there to harm them for their misdeeds and quickly subdues both parents before it becomes a cat-and-mouse game between him and the daughter. More back story is revealed about the tragedy which brought the family to the farm and the stranger to their door. While being a touch predictable, it is still finely acted and the characters' motivations are crystal clear.

A stranger only known as “”Nick” runs into some car trouble on his way out west and asks for the hospitality of the Smith family and a place to stay the night. Marilyn Smith is skeptical at first, but she decides to give him a chance. She clearly is the alpha male of the family. Nick is invited to the dinner table and the awkwardness of the family ensues with her husband Matt and daughter Gloria (Blackbird). He discovers the Marilyn has cut his food for him, which is a bit of literary irony on the fact that he turns out to be a surgeon, and he cuts people up.

Clearly, something is amiss, After dinner Nick ends up wandering into Gloria's room in which she proceeds to snap the neck of a blackbird in front of him. After Marilyn witnesses the debauchery, she rushes him to the attic. She is embarrassed and explains her daughter is not considered “normal”.

Nick reminisces about the last family he “helped” and the madness begins… This movie is very unexpected and deserves credit where it is due. The characters are multi-dimensional and their dialogue is crafted well in a way that creates believability. The reasoning behind the title “Bleeding House” becomes apparent halfway throughout the film and it’s worth the wait.

6.10

This film would actually make a very good film school project. It is by no means a professional production. The story though is good, solid, and climaxes great. It is written much better than the big budget Hollywood productions we see nowadays. The actors are above decent, the dialogues and plot are well written, and the characters are strong (except for the brother and girlfriend). Of course due to the amateurish feel of the film, when it comes to music, camera and lights, we go way below average. Special effects are not even worth mentioning as they are nonexistent. In general, this is not a film that I think will ever be on the big screen, but it is fine to watch on the TV if there is nothing better on. The unfair thing is that if the serial killer was played by a big shot actor and there were actually some money to be spent for music, photography and special effect, this would actually be a blockbuster !!! Unfortunate indeed.

Horror movie about a family that is heavily dysfunctional. Something happened with them that makes all the townspeople shun them and the father is unable to get a job. They have one son (Quentin) and a shy, quiet daughter (Gloria). One night a mysterious stranger (Nick) shows up at their door. He says his car has broken down up the road and he needs to call for help. They reluctantly let him in...and things take an evil turn.

The plot becomes fairly predictable from here on. It is well-acted (especially by Alexandra Chando as Gloria), has some gory killings and moves fairly quick...but there's no buildup in suspense. It just sort of lays there. Also I was expecting some sort of twist at the end...but there wasn't one. I also saw the ending coming from a mile away. This is not a terrible film just not a very good one. If you're a horror fan you might like it. All other stay away.

A family harbouring a dark secret invite a stranded traveller, genial southern gent Nick (Patrick Breen), into their home only to discover that their loquacious guest, an ex-surgeon, is now a self-proclaimed 'bearer of secret punishments'. Equipped with a variety of surgical instruments, Nick proceeds to teach his hosts the error of their ways, but meets his match in Gloria (Alexandra Chando), the very disturbed daughter of the household.

Like the drip, drip, drip of blood from a tube into a bottle, The Bleeding House builds slowly and inexorably, the facts gradually accumulating to reveal a delightfully twisted tale of death and deception. Even as the film enters darker territory, with nasty Nick attempting to recruit Gloria as his disciple, writer/director Philip Gelatt steadfastly refuses to reveal all of his cards at once or placate the viewer with cheap thrills (there is some gore, but it is used sparingly). While this measured approach may prove frustrating for some, the film should prove thoroughly absorbing for those viewers able to appreciate atmospheric, thoughtful slow-burn horror with a dash of mystery.