The film industry has traditionally been a bit of a boy’s club. Whilst diversity has gradually seeped into film-making, with huge advances made over the last few years, there’s still a long way to go. Although this improvement has been across the board, genre cinema has generally lagged behind the curve. As a result, we’ve had decades upon decades of films which have treated women badly, both on and off screen. Thankfully, there’s a brilliant and brave new wave of female directors making intelligent, exciting and innovative horror. Bleed with Me is a bold feature debut from Amelia Moses.
When Rowan (Lee Marshall) is invited on a winter retreat by one of her colleagues, she’s over the moon. Self-destructive and insecure, she considers Emily (Lauren Beatty) to be an ideal version of perfection. As seemingly is her relationship with Brenden (Aris Tyros), who joins them for the break at a cabin in the woods. However, things soon take a strange turn when Rowan discovers incisions on her arm and begins to suspect that her friend is taking her blood.
Bleed with Me is a fresh and vibrant psychological horror which explores the dangers of obsession, intimacy and co-dependency. Moses drenches her characters in a hallucinatory miasma, vague and yet intensely focused. Indeed, visually it’s hauntingly stark. Toying with its audience. Daring our imaginations to run wild, whilst sating us with little clues along the way. Bleed with Me is a slow-burn thriller which burrows under your skin.
Bleed with Me premieres at Fantasia Festival
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