I Haven't Been Able To Get This Out of My Head
I saw Blessed Are the Children at a local film festival a little while back and followed the film's page on Facebook soon after. A post a few weeks ago got me thinking about the film all over again and how much I enjoyed it. I guess it haunted me more than I realized.
Blessed tells the story of a young woman who's having an awful year, made even worse when she realizes she's pregnant. She decides she doesn't want to keep the baby, goes in for the abortion, and then finds herself stalked by creepy anti-abortion protesters in baby masks.
This could have been a run-of-the-mill slasher, but there's enough talent in front of and behind the camera to give it a certain gravitas most films of this type simply don't have. It's definitely low-budget (apparently shot for $1,000?), but it certainly doesn't feel amateur. For instance, the three female leads are perhaps some of the best written and acted horror film characters I've seen in a while. They're realistic, smart, funny, and wonderfully flawed as well. You can tell the creative team really loved these women.
Some might find the film a bit slow, but I was never bored. There's not any bloodshed until about 30-40 minutes into the film, but after that point, it rarely slows down again. I went in thinking that I'd know who'd live and who'd die, but by the last act, it really became a free for all and I found myself wonderfully surprised and thrown off guard on several occasions. The final shot is especially haunting and gasp-inducing.
As of now, this movie is, I guess, just playing festivals, but if it comes to one near you, check it out. I'm hoping it's released on DVD soon. It's one that'll stick with you.
Blessed tells the story of a young woman who's having an awful year, made even worse when she realizes she's pregnant. She decides she doesn't want to keep the baby, goes in for the abortion, and then finds herself stalked by creepy anti-abortion protesters in baby masks.
This could have been a run-of-the-mill slasher, but there's enough talent in front of and behind the camera to give it a certain gravitas most films of this type simply don't have. It's definitely low-budget (apparently shot for $1,000?), but it certainly doesn't feel amateur. For instance, the three female leads are perhaps some of the best written and acted horror film characters I've seen in a while. They're realistic, smart, funny, and wonderfully flawed as well. You can tell the creative team really loved these women.
Some might find the film a bit slow, but I was never bored. There's not any bloodshed until about 30-40 minutes into the film, but after that point, it rarely slows down again. I went in thinking that I'd know who'd live and who'd die, but by the last act, it really became a free for all and I found myself wonderfully surprised and thrown off guard on several occasions. The final shot is especially haunting and gasp-inducing.
As of now, this movie is, I guess, just playing festivals, but if it comes to one near you, check it out. I'm hoping it's released on DVD soon. It's one that'll stick with you.
- molemandavid
- 4 jul 2017