Blood: Review

4th February 2023

Jess (Michelle Monaghan) is divorcing her husband after finding he had an affair with their nanny. Forced to move to a new home with her children, Tyler (Skylar Morgan Jones) and Owen (Finlay Wojtak-Hissong), the transition isn’t going all that well and Owen is acting out.

However, one day when the least expect it, Owen is bitten by the family dog and is rushed to hospital. Jess is told that her son will need a blood transfusion, but one night she finds Owen drinking directly from the blood bag which is attached to his intravenous drip.

So, realising that her son has developed a condition in which he needs blood to survive she does the thing any loving mother would do – and starts stealing blood bags from the hospital.

Blood is a horror movie directed by Brad Anderson and written by Will Honley which takes a not-so-subtle metaphor and manifests it in a gruesome way. Having to deal with such a massive change in life and to bring her children along with her, the audience may immediately sympathise with Jess’ situation as she’s forced to make some hard choices. The theme of a mother willing to do whatever it takes to keep her children alive and well is sure to resonate with others as well.

However, once things turn to the more supernatural, then the movie slowly loses its grip as Jess’ life gets out of control. Blood becomes a cross between The Little Shop of Horrors and Misery, constantly testing the audience’s levels to which they can still care about Jess. It’s just a matter of how well the audience can suspend their disbelief.

Because Blood is a horror movie, then there must be some reason for Owen’s change and where there could have been a metaphor about adolescence, Blood decides to go for something suitably more conventional. Although, it’s an explanation that feels half hearted as it’s barely explained, but at least it gives the movie an ending.

Monaghan puts in a good performance as the audience can see her changing emotions about her child and may feel for her until the very end. However, the mixture between heavy metaphor and the paranormal may leave some perplexed.

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