What do you get when a family man has a bloodthirsty vice and a disturbing lack of emotions? A psychological thriller–horror for the ages. You might wanna buckle in for this one, folks, it’s a trip.
Henry Jacobson’s Bloodline follows first time Father, Evan, who values family above all else, and anyone who gets between him, his wife, and newborn son learns that the hard way. But when it comes to violent tendencies, it seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
For advid film watchers there’s always that one film that, in their opinion, doesn’t get the love and recognition it deserves. It’s only October so this might change but that film for me this year is Bloodline. Last year it was Unsane but we won’t talk about her. Cause I could go on forever. Imagine if Shirley Jackson tried writing a love story, got bored halfway through, threw in a ton of murder and a compelling character study of a psychopath, then finished everything off in a neatest and the most satisfying way; that’s probably the best way to describe this film.
In this alarming yet hard to look away from thriller, we follow the constantly monotone Evan Cole who recently became a Father. The first time trails of parenthood are clearly taking a toll on him and his wife, Lauren. So, to reveal some stress, Evan takes on a leisurely pursuit. And what might that be? So glad you asked.
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Much like in Dexter, Evan finds his victims through his job as a social worker for high school kids. While murder is totally not cool (duh) Evan justifies his actions to himself and the audience by playing off as vigilante justice by choosing victims that “deserve it”. And boy do they deserve it. These are bad dudes. With a cool concept, slick cinematography, and tightly wound precision, Bloodline really stands out from your typical slasher flick.
The best part of the movie (for me) was seeing Seann William Scott in such a bone chilling and downright evil role. I’ve only ever seen him in comedies as your run-of-the-mill goofball. So seeing Scott take on the role of a serial killer was nothing short of refreshing. As well as fun to watch. Scott really comes off as scary with that dead fish eye look he’s got going on. Plus, his approach to murder comes complete with an uncanny sense of normalcy, he seems perfectly content to kill as though it was simply an extension of his job. It’s a great watch.
Fans of Dexter, Criminal Minds or Hannibal in need of a truly twisted time will love this underrated gem. I seriously cannot recommend Bloodline enough! It is now available on VOD.
WICKED RATING: 8/10
Director(s): Henry Jacobson
Writer(s): Henry Jacobson, Will Honley, Avra Fox-Lerner
Starring: Seann William Scott, Dale Dickey, Kevin Carroll, Nick Boraine, Christie Herring.
Release: October 11, 2019
Production Co: Blumhouse Productions
Language: English
Run Time: 1hr 37min
