Blood Hunters (2016)
Gareth Jones
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Starring Lara Gilchrist, Benjamin Arthur, Torri Higginson, Mark Taylor
Directed by Tricia Lee
Screened at FrightFest 2016
Following an accidental drug overdose, struggling single mother Ellie (Gilchrist) wakes up to find herself with two major problems: first, she appears to be in some kind of medical research facility – the half-gutted employee sitting nearby proving something is very, very wrong; second, she’s nine months pregnant.
Slowly investigating the clinical surrounds, Ellie happens upon a fellow patient who is tied up in quarantine. This is Henry (Arthur), and he’s very enthusiastic about being freed from his bonds considering the facility appears to be overrun by bloodthirsty creatures looking to put the bite on any soft human flesh they can find.
Meeting up with a gang of other survivors, including intern George (Taylor), technician Marion (Higginson) and pious clergyman Father Stewart (genre stalwart Julian Richings), Ellie and Henry try to find a way to destroy the creatures – which are sensitive to light – before the backup generator packs in and bathes everyone in darkness.
A creature feature with a creative difference, Blood Hunters offers plenty of inventive strangeness in its setup. Just why is Ellie pregnant? How long has she been here? Why does Henry collapse upon contact with other people, suffering debilitating visions of their deaths?
And where do the light-shunning, albino-skinned humanoid monsters come from?
It all ties together in quite a lofty sci-fi/horror idea – one that writer Corey Brown and director Tricia Lee sadly don’t manage to explore to the fullest, but is impressive in its originality nonetheless. The supporting characters are puddle deep (how often are we going to see the crazy religious zealot who just can’t wait to usher in the apocalypse?), but leads Gilchrist and Arthur are outstanding in their respective roles.
These two have a natural chemistry in their exploratory scenes together, and ably shoulder Blood Hunters’ attempts to breach realms of human connection and emotional turmoil that are generally unexpected in your standard ‘monsters loose in a facility’ genre flick. Unfortunately, it’s often overplayed by the film’s score, which tries much too hard to elicit emotional gravitas in various scenes and stands out like a manipulative sore thumb.
Blood Hunters’ monsters are pretty cool, and the attack sequences well constructed, but the suits employed for those playing the beasts look stiff and unwieldy, with one particular sequence descending into unintentional humour as the actor can do little but stand still and stiffly swing their arms. It isn’t all bad, though – and certainly a much more pleasant representation than a bunch of bargain basement CGI would have been.
Violence is occasional and bloody, including one truly painful cauterisation sequence, meaning Blood Hunters should satisfy those who like their creature features topped up with the red stuff. A rather abrupt ending tries to bring things to a close on a devastatingly emotional note but, in keeping with much of the film’s aspirations, plays it a little too hard with an overabundance of sentimentality.
But foibles aside, Blood Hunters is a deceptively admirable attempt to make something both new and dramatically strong within the genre – and even if it does try a little too hard to realise that ambition, Lee and co. should certainly be lauded for their efforts.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
