The Bleeding

Driving this indie film is the "Devil" sent me to collect your soul story. The white-suited silver tongued Dude with the well worn doctor's bag is a pulp-fiction icon. So we have a blood-letting that is neither surprisingly sordid or unusually gruesome.

It is all done matter of fact with a sermon like accompaniment of Southern Preacher platitudes and ironic overtones. Nothing here is exceptionally creepy or scary and is not profound just functionary. There is very little suspense and even less that is horrifying.

One is reminded of a tale from the dark side or an E.C. Comic adaptation without the twist ending or a satisfactory denouement. This movie is all surface with no penetration into a warped mind that seems to be the point of it all. Only a home (is where the heart pump is) invasion that clicks off the victims in a predictable pecking order.

Horror movie about a family that is heavily dysfunctional. Something happened with them that makes all the townspeople shun them and the father is unable to get a job. They have one son (Quentin) and a shy, quiet daughter (Gloria). One night a mysterious stranger (Nick) shows up at their door. He says his car has broken down up the road and he needs to call for help. They reluctantly let him in...and things take an evil turn.

The plot becomes fairly predictable from here on. It is well-acted (especially by Alexandra Chando as Gloria), has some gory killings and moves fairly quick...but there's no buildup in suspense. It just sort of lays there. Also I was expecting some sort of twist at the end...but there wasn't one. I also saw the ending coming from a mile away. This is not a terrible film just not a very good one. If you're a horror fan you might like it. All other stay away.

Reading some of these reviews I expected it to be a complete flop. Well, though some may agree that it is, I think it deserves a little credit since it was somewhat entertaining. Yes the special effects were cheesy and unrealistic, but the storyline was decent and had potential. I think the worst scene in the movie was when the cops showed up. They could have depicted that a bit differently to make it more believable. I honestly think if a larger movie company would have picked it up, they could have made it 10x's better. Though I was entertained, I definitely would have been disappointed if I had to actually pay to see this movie so I am glad I caught it on Netflix. Not bad option to pass the time though.

A family harbouring a dark secret invite a stranded traveller, genial southern gent Nick (Patrick Breen), into their home only to discover that their loquacious guest, an ex-surgeon, is now a self-proclaimed 'bearer of secret punishments'. Equipped with a variety of surgical instruments, Nick proceeds to teach his hosts the error of their ways, but meets his match in Gloria (Alexandra Chando), the very disturbed daughter of the household.

Like the drip, drip, drip of blood from a tube into a bottle, The Bleeding House builds slowly and inexorably, the facts gradually accumulating to reveal a delightfully twisted tale of death and deception. Even as the film enters darker territory, with nasty Nick attempting to recruit Gloria as his disciple, writer/director Philip Gelatt steadfastly refuses to reveal all of his cards at once or placate the viewer with cheap thrills (there is some gore, but it is used sparingly). While this measured approach may prove frustrating for some, the film should prove thoroughly absorbing for those viewers able to appreciate atmospheric, thoughtful slow-burn horror with a dash of mystery.

A stranger with mysterious intentions (Patrick Breen) comes to stay the night at a secluded country home, but what he finds inside is a family torn apart by a violent past and a secret more deadly than he expected.

For whatever reason, Netflix recommended this one to me as something I would enjoy. And while I must admit I did enjoy it, I think they could have recommended 100 other titles just as easily. The concept here is good, but not really all that different from a number of other films... a stranger who wants to stay overnight, and can we trust him? That is old hat.

Although I thought Patrick Breen was excellent in this, his accent seemed a bit forced. I kept thinking at any moment he would stop and say "just kidding" about his Southern roots. But alas, no, it was not to be.