Using vampirism as a commentary on addiction and its horrors is not a new thing, but the keen focus of Andrew Bell’s film on the people most affected by the opioid crisis – the working class – brings a fresh, haunting perspective to the subject matter.
In the world of Bleeding, the blood of vampires is a greatly sought after drug, with its derivative “Dust” usually the way most people consume the potent drug. The movie is centred around Eric (John R. Howley), who’s main occupation is caring for his schizophrenic mother after the death of his brother. Eric lost his brother to vampirism, which happens when the person overdoses on vampire blood and ‘turns’ as a result. They lay in the darkness, inert and lethargic, only coming alive to get their next fix. Considering how broken both Eric and his mom is, drug addiction doesn’t just impact those afflicted, but really everyone who loves and cares for them.
Having seen the effects of addiction to Dust, Eric rightly stays away from the stuff. Unfortunately, his cousin Sean (Jasper Jones) has been using the stuff under the nose of his cop father Hank (Jay Dunn). Hank engages in heavy day drinking and watches videos of his vampiric busts, so completely lost in his own obsession that he can’t even muster any sense of empathy for his only son. When Sean gets caught by Hank and loses his stash of Dust, he needs to find a way to make some money so he can pay his dealer or lose his life. Not keen to lose someone else he loves, Eric agrees to help Sean to break into houses and find things to pawn.
Bleeding has some interesting set pieces, especially in the kinetic imagery and framing when the vampirism takes hold of a person’s body. It’s horrifying yet poignant, as the camera focuses on their full body spasms, vacant stares and bared, bloody mouths, driven to consume but in a manner so beyond their control. I love the motif of the slightly ajar door, as each time we wonder what horrors someone is going to stumble upon on the other side.
Both Eric and Sean have character arcs that explore two different sides of the same coin. Eric has to deal with the fallout of having family members who are addicts, while Sean grapples with his addiction and having to take accountability for his own grotesque actions in pursuit of his fix. Their parental figures are neglectful in different ways, which means they cannot be counted on for support when shit hits the fan.
The most affecting performance in Bleeding is Tori Wong’s Sara, who finds herself exploited by men over and over again, yet never loses her sense of humanity. We get glimpses of her story told through a hazy, Dust-filled flashback, but she’s such a compelling character that I wish we got more. Massive kudos to Wong for making such a sizeable impact in a minor role. The same goes for Dunn’s performance as Hank. He’s so utterly menacing and intimidating in the role that I found myself unsettled in the brief moments he was on screen.
Where the film stumbles is its pacing. It’s slow and sluggish in the moments between significant narrative plot points, and I didn’t appreciate the contrived jump scares. While Howley and Jones are decent enough, they don’t fully inhabit their roles – their hair is too perfect for starters – so their performances feel a tad hollow and unconvincing. I don’t buy that they’re cousins or that they’ve spent much time together; the intimacy is missing from the relationship, thus preventing certain plot points from hitting harder later on.
There’s much to appreciate in Bleeding, but the emotional core is not developed enough to leave lasting bite.
Review screener provided.
REVIEW SCORE: 3/5
