This year there have been two films screening at FrightFest that throw the age old creature of the werewolf into the spotlight. The first is Are We Monsters by Seb Cox, and the second is Bloodthirsty by Amelia Moss. Both films have sought to subvert this subgenre of horror films in very different ways. Cox told his story through the lens of a fantasy coming-of-age, whereas Moss uses her story to explore a young singer finding her voice against a sea of obstacles. Last year Moss released her debut feature Bleed with Me, a film that felt like a strange variation on the vampire film as a mentally fragile woman started to believe that her friend was draining her of blood nightly. Moss doesn’t distort her werewolf story as abstractly as with Bleed with Me, but there are definitely some interesting ideas at play.
Reuniting with her Bleed with Me star, Lauren Beatty, the plot follows Beatty’s character Grey, an indie singer whose first album was phenomenally successful. Now however, Grey is feeling weighed down by the pressure to deliver her follow-up album. In an attempt to get a fresh perspective on her music, she signs up with elusive and reclusive producer Vaughan Daniels (played by Greg Bryk). Daniels is a character shrouded in infamy after the mysterious death of his former partner. Despite pleas from her girlfriend Charlie (Katharine King So), Grey commits to not only working with Vaughn, but also to the two of them moving in with him to do it. Soon after arriving, Grey finds herself and her music begin to change as she begins to embrace her animal side, with devastating ends.
The cast all give great performances. King So does a great job of making her character more than just the worried or hysterical girlfriend, giving Charlie her own sense of autonomy. Greg Bryk is no stranger to werewolf related projects, although those expecting him to play another version of his Bitten character, Jeremy, are going to be upset. He handles Vaughn incredibly well and plays the charismatic potential villain with a devilish glee. This being Grey’s film, it is Beatty that really shines though. Moss throws her through the emotional, physical, and vocal wringer here, and the actor attacks everything with gusto and generates a compelling protagonist for the audience to get behind.
With this being Moss’ sophomore feature, comparisons could certainly be drawn between director and character, though the script was actually written by the pairing of Wendy Hill-Tout and musician Lowell. Moss may not have written the script, but that essence of her own situation has seeped into the film regardless. Whether this film surpasses Bleed With Me is hard to discuss as both are so different to one another, Bleed With Me feeling more avant garde. Bloodthirsty is the more mainstream of the two; it’s subversion from werewolf tropes is never enough to alienate the casual watcher. The story perhaps isn’t quite as strong as the debut. Bloodthirsty does not really try to hide its endgame, whilst at the same time it tries to inject mystery into the story. Those with a familiarity for genre cinema may work out early on what direction the film is going down and as such become disappointed.
One element for which there will be no complaints is the music. Co-writer Lowell also worked on the music for the film, creating all of the songs that Grey sings over the course of the film. They are a collection of haunting alternative indie hits with Aurora style vocals. If nothing else catches your attention, sit back and just enjoy these soothing yet painful melodies.
Raw with werewolves is the easiest way to sell Bloodthirsty, but similarities aside, it is its own beast. The story might not be as adventurous or as exciting as the modern French classic, but there is a lot of greatness still to be discovered here. Bloodthirsty is only Moss’ second feature and the filmmaker is clearly still testing the water and tweaking things, but between this and Bleed With Me, her career is shaping up to be one to keep an eye on.
Bloodthirsty
Summary
Another rejig of the werewolf story, Bloodthirsty has a knockout soundtrack, an interesting story hook, and some solid performances.
Bloodthirsty was reviewed at Arrow Video FrightFest 2021. Signature Entertainment presents Bloodthirsty at FrightFest 29th August and on Digital Platforms & DVD 30th August.
