FRIGHTFEST 2021: Bloodthirsty
FRIGHTFESTReturning to Frightfest with Bloodthirsty after her feature debut Bleed with Me premiered last year, Amelia Moses sadly delivers an underwhelming step down from her directorial debut, albeit not one that is a complete disaster but a disappointing venture nonetheless.
Returning with actress Lauren Beatty, Bloodthirsty is a complete tonal and aesthetic departure from the duo’s predecessor, as Bleed with Me antagonised the audience with an internalised intimate thriller that uses its strength of a limited budget to craft a cohesive bottle episode. Bloodthirsty opens up its setting and set design as well as genre to craft something entirely tonally different. Instead of crafting an internalised character development, Moses instead turns her focus on crafting a b-movie monster movie. Granted, while this is a definitive departure from her excellent debut, it does offer the director retreat into atoning a more distinctive palette and crafting depth behind the camera, as well as a level of increased maturity.
However, Bloodthirsty is so far from the heights of its predecessor; at times, it feels like a setback. Where Bleed with Me excelled is in its understanding of genre and cinematics. Using an intimate setting and the narrative depicted, such sentiment goes hand in hand at crafting a formidable atmosphere and, thus, tension. In that, the performances brood and develop in a terrific harmony. The world and narrative are more robust this time around, and while that might offer scope on paper, ironically enough, Moses' feature actually lacks significant immersion with its character, which has a significant impact on the narrative and immersion of this story.
While Bleed With Me echoed the sentiments of implication and ambiguity, which housed quite a thrilling and intense proceedings, Bloodthirsty does little to antagonise nor feed its audience for possible major surprises or nuance. It becomes quite clear from the offset that Bloodthirsty has nothing to produce from underneath the surface. Every imaginable and touched upon layer is presented with straightforward context and, therefore, comes across on-the-nose and without expression. Discussions on pharmaceutical drugs and prescriptions are presented, as is the theme of self-love and understanding, presumably through allegory, but even here, such motifs are presented in flat direct sequences.
Such disappointments do not stop here. Lauren Beatty has little to do aside from emotionally ponder with little depth and, therefore, little intrigue to her story. Beatty produces narrow range and is depicted in mindless blank stares often enough to craft a running time. Presented through her characters talents of being a music artist, it is clear that Moses, again, is using this work as allegorical nature to a tortured artist who must first conquer themselves and then ultimately their art, offers little in terms of entertainment and interest.
Last but not least, the film leaves quite a lot to be desired in terms of genre. The practical effects are lacking, and the world-building undeniably poor and underwhelming, again, to craft intrigue and immersion. Sadly enough, looking incredibly silly and not punchy or weighted. Even in the entertainment, value is poor concerning the blood and gore that feel excessive and undeniably flat in extreme usage.
There is still undeniably a spark within the work and potential filmography of Amelia Moses. However, Bloodthirsty is a disappointing venture into genre horror, with a lack of interest, intrigue and even entertainment value for causal horror fans or fans of Moses to enjoy; one can only hope that her next directorial effort crafts a similar thrill to what her debut feature exceeded.
