[Film Review] Bloodthirsty (2020)

The independent horror scene is rife with new concepts and explorations of old lore, from vampires to werewolves, there is a boom of stories produced to examine the physical and emotional impact of change on a person. In Amelia Moses’ lycanthrope horror film Bloodthirsty, the creative process serves as the impetus for a woman’s mental breakdown and rebirth. 

Grey (Lauren Beatty) is a singer-songwriter suffering from a creative drought while also contending with hallucinations of her body morphing into an animal. The film telegraphs the eventual transformation through the dreams and delusions Grey experiences while trying to convince her girlfriend Charlie (Katharine King So) she is better than fine. The result of this forecasting is a lack of tension building, but the story becomes more interesting when Grey is invited to record her next album with reclusive music producer Vaughn (Greg Bryk) at his secluded mansion in the country.   

Charlie and Grey’s relationship seems healthy, but the secrets that Grey keeps from her create a rift in the relationship that becomes more apparent as Grey grows closer to Vaughn. While Vaughn’s eccentric behavior alienates Charlie, he endears himself to Grey by offering insight into his process while providing a sort of paternal guidance she has lacked in her life. Through Vaughn’s insistence, Grey chooses to quit taking the medication that is meant to control her hallucinations and opens herself to the possibility of revealing her true potential through embracing the parts of her she has tried so desperately to hide. 

Her inspiration grows almost hypnotically as songwriting comes easier with each new day, and it becomes difficult for Grey to acknowledge the very apparent red flags being presented by Vaughn and his cold, threatening housekeeper Vera (Judith Buchan). Charlie begs Grey to recognize Vaughn’s sinister motives, but Grey continues to explore the darker part of herself. 

Vaughn’s mentorship crosses the line of professionalism early on, and he encourages Grey to eat meat (she’s vegan), drink absinthe (she’s sober), and eventually pushes her to embrace an uncontrollable hunger, resulting in blood-soaked showers and a banging sophomore album. 

What Bloodthirsty does best is confront the prison of illusions within which the creative process is so often held captive. Grey is a tortured soul upon first arrival at Vaughn’s house, but he offers her freedom through truth, resulting in a discovery of repressed desires and the acceptance of who she truly is. The concept of creativity requiring the creator to be miserable is an antiquated one, and while Grey suffers loss and pain after unleashing her true nature, ultimately, she releases herself into the arms of a happiness that has eluded her. The need to conform to what others expect is a debilitating impulse, especially for creatives, and in Grey’s case, once she allows herself to be the person she has denied, her artistry matures and morphs into truth and paves the way for the success. 

Bloodthirsty is beautifully shot, utilizing strong performances from its two leads whose relationship grows in an organic and believable way. Greg Bryk is perfection as Vaughn, a man whose intensity steals each scene, paving the way for Grey’s self-discovery through sacrifice, and it is very clear to the viewer that he cares about Grey’s journey, possibly more than his own. There are a few distracting issues if one doesn’t love hearing the same song being sung over and over, and it would have been nice if the flashbacks at the very beginning of the film didn’t show us exactly what would transpire, but the positive aspects of Bloodthirsty far outweigh these small irritations.

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