Shy and timid Rowan (Lee Marshall) gets invited on an excursion to a wintry cabin retreat with friend and work colleague, Emily (Lauren Beatty), as well as Emily’s boyfriend, Brendan (Aris Tyros). At first the trip is exactly what Rowan needs, a nice quiet space in which she can relax. Her tranquillity is broken however, after she wakes in the night appearing to find Emily hovering over her, extracting her blood. The next day, Rowan has a strange unexplained cut, and Emily has blood on her collar. Unnerved, but chalking it up to a strange dream, Rowan continues to try and enjoy her time away, but when night falls once more, she finds herself with another nighttime visit from her friend. As the days progress, Rowan becomes determined that Emily is, for some reason, draining her blood for her own consumption.
Bleed with Me is a film that progresses in a slow, but purposeful manner. The narrative moves forwards subtly, and whilst the pace will infuriate many, it all helps to generate atmosphere and unease. Were it to race to its hidden darkness, the result wouldn’t be as satisfying. It really needs to do things little-by-little and carefully so that the viewer is placed into a position similar to Rowan. The sedentary pace doesn’t mean that strange things aren’t happening, for example, during the first evening Rowan cuts herself making dinner and Emily takes her hand and kisses the wound. It’s very strange, weird and not at all what people usually do; it passes in an instant but paves the groundwork for what is to follow. As purposeful and necessary as the sluggish momentum is to the story, it is tough at times to remain engaged.
Writer and director Amelia Moses uses Bleed with Me to explore the current hot topic of gaslighting. Although a form of psychological abuse that has been around for years, it has only recently made its way into the media. The most noteworthy recent example in film, is Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man, but Moses also uses it as a basis for her story. Emily uses all manner of tricks to manipulate Rowan into questioning her own sanity. It’s an easy manipulation to pull off, as who would believe that their best friend is stealing their blood? Moses highlights the dangers of the phenomena, but more importantly highlights that the tormentor doesn’t have to be your significant other. There an argument however, that not everything is as it seems. The film could also be read as a study at the profound effects of paranoia and an unravelling mind.
With no clear resolution, Bleed with Me is a film riddled with ambiguity. Rather than fill in the blanks for the viewer, Moses instead asks the audience to interpret the film for themselves. This will lead to differing views and opinions from person-to-person, which will encourage discussion. With no clear ending or direction to the ‘truth’, some viewers will inevitably struggle and will simply dismiss the film as a slow muddled mess, but those that like a challenge and a brain workout, will find plenty to compel them.
Bleed with Me was reviewed at Fantasia 2020.
Bleed with Me
Summary
An ambiguous narrative with purposeful and deliberately slow pacing will not be to everybody’s taste. Bleed with Me is nevertheless a shining example of gaslighting in film.
