Bleed

Director - Tripp Rhame (Sunday Pants, A Dark Purpose)
Starring - Chelsey Crisp (The Office, NCIS), Riley Smith (True Blood, Freaks and Geeks), and Michael Steger (V.R. Troopers, Criminal Minds)
Release Date - 2016
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Reap the flesh"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I get a lot of films in to review.  Probably more than I have the time for but I do my best and work through each and every release sent my way.  Sometime I do get movies I had previously reviewed prior to release and other times I get films in that another writer on the site had reviewed prior to release.  Recently I received the film Bleed.  When I was looking it over I saw that it had a Horror Society quote on it.  I reached out to some of the other writers and discovered that one of them had actually reviewed the film sometime ago.  He really enjoyed the film.  Hearing his excitement for the film made me excited to see it.  I moved it up to the top of the pile where I quickly tossed it into rotation.  Thank you MVD for sending this one my way!

     The film follows a young couple who move to a secluded farmhouse as they prepare for their new addition.  She is expecting a bundle of joy and the baby is due to arrive anytime.  She has some family and friends come over to spend time with them before the baby arrives.  When her brother, an avid paranormal investigator, and his girlfriend learn that an infamous prison is near their home they set out to investigate.  What the group is unaware of is that this prison is the resting site of a heinous serial killer and a local cult is planning on using her unborn child as part of a ritual forcing her to fight for her life. 

     When I first received Bleed I assumed it was a generic horror film centered around a woman and her unborn child.  I have seen a huge spike in films based on  similar stories in recent years and was not that interested in it.  When a fellow Horror Society writer mentioned how awesome it was I was reluctant at first but his excitement worked on me and I became very interested in the film.  I'm glad I listened to him because the film was not what I was expecting.  The acting in this one is great.  The entire cast dedicated themselves to their roles and made each and every character feel natural.  The cult is creepy as fuck while delivering that false sense of comfort.  The group fighting to survive has varying degrees of character.  Some are more flat and clichés while others are more in depth and detailed.  Regardless of how they are written the cast still brings them to life.  The story for this one is one hell of a ride.  The film plays out like a supernatural film set against the backdrop of an expecting mother but that quickly changes to a southern fried cult film that do what they do based on prophecies.  These two types of stories come together to make one very unique viewing experience.  The film blends supernatural with southern religious/cult flicks which I think works very well.  Also, the film makes great use of time and there is very few scenes that try the viewer's patience.  Finally, this one is not that bloody or gore.  We do get some impressive, by indie horror standards, visual effects that caught me off guard and a great looking spirit but we are not given the amount of gore that I was hoping for.  We do get buckets of blood but it does very little in terms of gore.  Overall, Bleed will be an overlooked gem.  The artwork is boring and very unimaginative but the actual film is not.  The film is the complete opposite.  If you love southern horror and the supernatural then this film is for you.  Check it out.