Blood Vessel

This movie isn't awful, but it's not good. Its a B-Movie and it doesn't set itself to be a masterpiece, which I can respect.

I think that the acting was a bit awkward at times, but passable and some scenes were even good. Also, the plot isn't original, but it isn't also as cliche as many other horror films. I think the setting was interesting and it had potential. Nevertheless, I must say the film fails to reach a good level simply because in many ways the director played it safe and followed cliches and tropes from other films. The ending is worst part of all, it falls under the category of "super cliches" and it is also the result of a quite big plot-hole. I think they wasted the potential to have an entraining film, the protagonists are luckluster and most of them die in stupid or anticlimactic ways. Therefore, I can't bring myself to rate this more than 5.

I had not even heard about this 2019 movie titled "Blood Vessel" prior to sitting down here late in 2020 to watch it. I happened to stumble upon the movie by random chance, and I was intrigued by the movie's cover. So of course I gave the movie a chance.

And I will say that "Blood Vessel" actually turned out to be a nice surprise of a movie. Sure, it was predictable, but that didn't really play much of a factor, because the overall storyline was good and provided wholesome entertainment.

The storyline is one that draws you in right from the very beginning as writers Justin Dix and Jordan Prosser actually managed to churn out something that had that old school classic horror feel to it, and at the same time managing to be something up to date.

Not only was the storyline interesting and entertaining, but the movie also had an interesting character gallery to play out the movie's storyline on the screen. And it definitely helped that they had great talents to portray these characters.

I was impressed with the special effects, especially the Strigoi creature effects, because they definitely looked nice. There was a very bestial aura to the way these shapeshifting creatures were brought to life on the screen.

While the events portrayed in the movie took place aboard a boat only, and the movie had a relatively small cast, then it was actually pulled off quite nicely. The setting worked quite well in favor of the movie, and you definitely feel right there alongside with the characters aboard the boat.

As it turned out, then I was actually more than surprised with "Blood Vessel"; I was genuinely entertained. This was a much welcomed addition to the horror genre. So thumbs up to director Justin Dix for his accomplishments here.

My rating of "Blood Vessel" is a six out of ten stars.

Locally made horror thriller Blood Vessel embraces its concept and kookiness to deliver a fun throwback like experience that is sure to have genre fans excited about the proposition of seeing World War 2 citizens take it to a ship full of bloodthirsty nazi vampires.

Directed by Australian special effects/props guru Justin Dix, Blood Vessel overcomes its low-budget origins and DIY nature to end up as a final product that is both proficient as a spectacle piece and as a moody atmospheric horror that will entertain anyone willing to go along with its insanely over the top and schlocky premise.

Everything about the film is no fuss, Dix wastes little time in introducing us to a group of sea-stranded survivors that includes Nathan Philipp's Australian soldier Nathan Sinclair and Alyssa Sutherland's kindly Jane Prescott as they and their fellow raft members find potential rescue aboard a seemingly deserted Nazi minesweeper, that just so happens to be host to some extra-ordinary cargo that would rather suck your blood than say hello.

Taking it slow for the first part of the survivors searching of the ship and quest to uncover why a ship such as the one they find themselves on is devoid of human life bar a young girl, Blood Vessel eventually goes all out as we and the films group come face to face with the true horrors of what lays in store for them becomes increasingly more apparent.

With some great visual effects and make-up work, a committed cast who all "bite" into their roles, a great set courtesy of a real-life docked ship and an atmospheric score from Brian Cachia, Blood Vessel is a well-rounded package that never tries to do anything outside of its reach and while it fails to go to insanely creative levels of B-grade goodness, it remains a home grown affair that horror buffs can be proud of.

Final Say -

A fun and entertaining Australian made horror, Blood Vessel delivers exactly what its premise promises and has a lot of fun along the way in doing so.

3 neck bites out of 5

Blood Vessel isn't particularly unique or innovative, but it's a solid vampire low-budget horror film. Let's start with the bad. The movie spends almost a full hour and 15 minutes before the vampires start munching on people making the story drag until the action begins. Once the action did start, it was generally quick cuts and shaky cam rather than well-choreographed fights. Now for the good. The set, costumes, creature design, makeup, and practical effects were all excellent for a low-budget film. The eyes of the vampires looked so cool! I really liked the motley crew of characters and their struggle to survive. In the end, Blood Vessel wasn't an outstanding film, but I enjoyed watching it anyway!

I had really high hopes for this film after reading many comments. This film both worked and failed for me. It worked as a thriller more than a horror film, the acting was good on most parts, not all. The story was good to. The bad, why Tue bickering between characters, this to me fell right from the start and got on my nerves. There was no surprise at the end, so this was a bit of a let down foe me. The main problem I had was the film was slow in some parts and I found myself getting bored waiting for something to happen. Nearly an above average film but not this time.