Examining Brad Anderson's back catalog, it's almost heretical to state that Blood is in desperate need of thrills. This is a guy that has given us the likes of The Machinist, TransSiberian or Session 9 - all competent, albeit disposable genre fares. Anderson is clearly trying to capitalize on his strengths here - the moody and evocative cinematography, simple yet relatable themes, and committed performances from his leads - but they never coalesce into something consistently engaging. The trailer is probably the most rousing aspect of this picture - a masterclass of false advertising promising a gloomy, vampiric take on a child gone bad and containing most of the movie's memorable scenes. Yet the final product is more Room than The Good Son, a plodding tale of a loving mother that is too languid and ludicrous to sustain any kind of dramatic heft. Much like the child she nourishes, it's an insipid piece that only sporadically springs to life - and it will take more than a few pints of blood to fix.
Review of Blood
