Director – Daniel Benedict (The Unwanted, Bunni)
Starring – Lisa Wilcox (Star Trek: The Next Generation, A Nightmare on Elm St 4: The Dream Master), Tuesday Knight (A Nightmare on Elm St 4: The Dream Master, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare), and David Daniel
Release Date – 2020
Rating – 3/5
As my October horror binge continues I find myself turning to social media to uncover some indie gems that have went under my radar. Over the last few weeks I’ve been browsing through hashtags and group posts searching for some indie goodness.
One that I recently found is the 2020 horror film The Bloody Man from Bunni director Daniel Benedict. The film also caught me eye for starring A Nightmare on Elm Street alumni Liza Wilcox and Tuesday Knight. I got in contact with Benedict and he was kind enough to send over a DVD for me to review. Thank you so much Daniel for allowing Horror Society and myself the opportunity to check out your film!
**spoiler Alert** The film follows a young boy who recently lost his mother. His father was quick to bring another woman into the family. His younger sister and older brother are open to the idea of a step-mother but he doesn’t like the idea of replacing her. He becomes a social outcast as school, as well as, home. He becomes obsessed with a comic his mother brought him right before her passing. His obsession with the Bloody Man comic becomes so intense that the ancient being in the comic becomes real forcing his siblings and step-mother to grow closer together as they fight for their lives.**Spoiler Alert**
I was born in the mid 80s and grew up in the 90s while becoming obsessed with anything 80s. As I got older I noticed that a lot of horror fans around my age are also obsessed with 80s horror. This has spawned so many attempts at trying to capture that look and feel of 80s horror. I knew The Bloody Man was an 80s throwback but it goes to great lengths to get that genuine 80s vibe. It succeeds but at what cost?
The acting in this one is surprisingly well done. Wilcox and Knight both deliver solid performances but the real star of the film is the young David Daniel. He absolutely carries the film and shows some serious talent for such a young age. His character and performance really brings to mind films like The Monster Squad, The Goonies, and so on. The film has some serious horror elements but the young lead makes the story even more horrifying.
The story for this one is my favorite part and my least favorite part of the film. I loved the lore around the blood man and the very rich backstory it had. I also loved how it mixed in with the middle child struggling with the step-mother while becoming rebellious. Both do work very well together which gives the film layers for the viewer to enjoy. With that being said. the movie is way too long. A little over 2 hours is really pushing it. There is several scenes that could be trimmed down that would leave the story intact without pushing the viewer’s to the limit.
Finally, the film has a surprising amount of blood but doesn’t bring the gore. The scenes with the blood uses some simple practical effects that works for the scene and drives the point across to the viewer. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before but it works. Overall, The Bloody Man is a well rounded tribute to 80s horror. The story is very rich and the cast is fantastic. You will need to put some time aside to watch this beefy piece of indie horror but it entertains which is all we can ask for. I highly recommend it.
