Bloodthirsty

Director: Amelia Moses

Studio: Brainstorm Media

Review: Bloodthirsty

Please be advised, this is not for kids as it contains lots of bloody moments and R-Rated contents throughout the film. Bloodthirsty is a dark, thriller film that takes the audience to the nostalgic levels of thriller and horror films altogether, bringing the reminiscent from The Twilight Saga media and properties. This film is directed by Amelia Moses and features Lauren Beatty and Greg Bryk in their main-leading roles.

Bloodthirsty centers on Grey, an indie singer, who receives an invitation to work with notorious music producer Vaughn Daniels at his remote studio in the woods. However, Grey soon discovers that she has a vision that she is actually a wolf and, as her work with the emotionally demanding Vaughn deepens, begins to hunger for meat and the hunt. As Grey starts to transform into a werewolf, she begins to find out who she really is.

Actress Lauren Beatty portrays Grey, an indie singer who realizes that she is a wolf on the inside, in the film while actor Greg Byrk (A History of Violence, Saw V) appears as Vaughn Daniels, a charismatic, but scheming music producer who pushes her singing ability too hard.

There is not much information about director Amelia Moses, but she is a Canadian filmmaker hailing in Montreal. Her directing credits include Undress Me, Fear Haus, and Bleed With Me, with the latter she and Beatty have previously worked together on. As director, Moses lays down the roles for actors Beatty and Bryk and the scene-filming organization for the cabin scenes entirely despite being the only location being filmed throughout the course. Moses has the acting duo to give some tips on acting in a thrilling film as well as showing them what are the pros and cons on how any horror or thriller film works in any direction. At first, Beatty and Bryk look and sound like they don’t know how to master each task in this, but in the end, they’re just going with the flow under the director’s blessing.

Needless to say, there are in an array of hopeless downfalls shown throughout this film, having not much of a variety of what this film has to offer when it all comes down to making comprehensive ideas for the story, the location, and the role for those characters. The director also gives the characters a large volume of weakened personalities and the lazy-writings from Wendy Hill-Tout and Lowell. In addition, not too many actors are present as the film is mainly set and shot in the large cabin in the middle of the woods on such a wintry day with no sunny skies and lots of colors being weathered out, draining the film’s texture. Not only the horrifying storyline and that awful script-writing, but the CGI flesh-and-blood violent scenes at the end really gave me the creeps, given the fact that the crew took higher advantages of that R-Rating atmosphere.

Speaking of casting, the other actors Katharine King So (CTV’s Transplant), Judith Buchan, and Michael Ironside (Starship Troopers, Total Recall) appear as Grey’s girlfriend Charlie, Vera, and Dr. Swan respectively in the film.

I hate to say this but Bloodthirsty isn’t a good movie, maybe a bit average. I would drop this on my guilty pleasure list for the 2020/21 season. This film is too stiff and hard to see and I felt like Moses overdid her job putting too many things in one basket, trying to make this piece fascinating with a side of pivotal motion. Despite this, I did admire Beatty and Bryk in some parts in the film. Sorry, but go find another thrilling movie that can replace eighty minutes of your time.

GRADE: F

(Review by Henry Pham)