“Blood” Movie Review

 

“Blood”

Movie Review

 

Starring Michelle Monaghan, Finlay Wojtak-Hissong, Skylar Morgan Jones, Skeet Ulrich, June B. Wilde, and Danika Frederick, Blood was directed by Brad Anderson and written by Will Honley. The story follows a mother who risks everything to save her son when he is bitten by a sick dog.

Honley comes up with something fresh for a while, but typically, vampire stories follow more gothic storylines about bloodlines and societal aggressiveness or less serious and outrageous, fetishized ideas of gratuity. His vision is unbounded, but it stretches out reasonably.

Jess hardly has time to keep a close eye on her sons, Owen and Tyler, as she works through her addiction recovery and a move. When this process comes to a close, the family dog Pippin becomes ill and savagely attacks Owen, placing the boy in the hospital and killing the dog. It is a memorable and depressing opening half hour that offers many opportunities for development, but only a few are taken, such as mentioned disease, which Blood never really explains beyond the barest of indications. What happens as a result is even more urgent for Jess because Owen acquires a desire for blood when consumed orally, which causes the mother to go to great lengths to preserve her kid. Honley doesn't really put a fresh perspective on the concepts at hand because Blood frequently gets sidetracked by investigative scenes that don't result in anything and meetings with Jess's ex-husband Patrick and his new girlfriend Shelly that may have been improved. More sources of plasma are needed as the sickness worsens, which makes cancer patient Helen a valuable asset and keeps Blood's wheels turning.

Although Anderson and Honley's choice of how to conclude the movie has been praised by some as courageous, it actually comes across as a cop-out because little is actually learned or understood, which makes Blood's second half considerably less interesting than its first.

What the movie lacks in a clear and well-developed plot, it makes up for a family that has well-realized backstories, eccentricities, and personalities that keep interested even when the plot becomes unclear. Monaghan and Wojtak-Hissong in particular give excellent performances.

Jess is a wonderful character whose flaws and emotions combine to create a very unbiased picture of loss and stress. Honley connects the repercussions of her past to her present, even when not all of it is present—for example, what addiction she is recovering from and why it occurred. She faces several challenges because of her role as a nurse, her recovery, and her children. Despite this, Blood emphasizes that she is making an effort in all of these areas, with variable degrees of success. All of this serves as a foundation, but her tension and activity further her development very nicely.

All of the infantile actions and speech patterns that should go along with any tike are bestowed upon Owen and Skylar. Owen is a curious young boy who adores his dog and has his own quirks, such as staying away from olives, sleeping in strange places with the light on and the door open, and eventually developing remorseful maturity.

It's the simple things that give a character depth, and Blood is savvy not to make its young protagonist a continual problem like many other kid-centered movies do. Tyler isn't quite as compelling of a character, but she is more than simply the stereotypical middle child because to her anxiety over the new house, absence of a father figure, and protective instinct for Owen.

Patrick and Shelly, who have formed a romantic relationship after the man strayed on his wife, are a mistake. Although Patrick's intentions are admirable, the film attempts and fails to turn him into a supporting antagonist. His presence in Blood is understandable, but the inclusion of Shelly and the kid they had together is a stretch that didn't need to happen. Yet, the current family is depicted in the film with accuracy and understanding, which was necessary for the production.

Although Anderson handles the situation in a way that makes Blood more of a terrifying drama than a straight horror movie, Anderson mostly succeeds in moving the allegorical part of the plot and the majority of the familial material to a new setting. The main theme of the film is motherhood, which is vividly imagined by Jess and the other characters and where their objectives lead them.

She has her work cut out for her between doing the usual household chores like cooking and laundry, attending meetings concerning custody arrangements, and, of all things, soothing Tyler's discomfort. Add to that the discovery and escalation of her son's vampiric needs, and she has a full plate. The lengths Jess goes to in order to understand Owen's condition sell the scenario. She vigorously searches for hospital supplies, adopted pets, and other resources in order to provide for her baby, no matter the risk. The other side of Blood, which only accurately addresses half of its subject, is pain, which comes in numerous forms and intensities. While he struggles with the occasional contact he gets with his children, Patrick's inconsistent behavior is generally realistic. Patrick places the blame on Jess wherever he can to improve his standing with CPS. Though the concept is sound, the language he receives over the course of the film turns him into a one-dimensional antagonist. Helen's disease is a secondary plot, and the movie spends a lot of time on her, but when the writing makes her moot, all of the speculations about reaching the conclusion is meaningless.

Strong yet understated, Anderson's directing of scenes consistently keeps the audience's attention on the performers rather than the action taking place in the background. Due to the script's reliance on the reader's comprehension of the actions and reactions of the individuals in question, other aspects do not always take a backseat but rather are given room to soften in order to draw attention where it is required. Bjorn Charpentier's cinematography lingers on the majority of shots while moving in an almost imperceptible way. Some of the elements, such as pacing and editing, didn't get the proper amount of attention. Although the camerawork is good, several images and scenarios tend to drag on for a few extra seconds.

Ironically, blood pours out before it comes to any kind of resolution. The majority of Anderson and the company's objectives are met, but given the beginning's promise, the movie ends up being gratingly average.

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