Director – Gabriel Bernini (Triple Thriller)
Starring – Chloe Cherry (The Grinch XXX Parody, Don’t Trip), Lena Redford (Nature is Speaking, And Back Again), and Andrea Bambina (Bagworm)
Release Date – 2025
Rating – 3.5/5
My favorite horror films take place in a cabin deep in the woods. Cabin in the Woods, Evil Dead 1 and 2, almost every slasher I love, and so on. It’s the perfect set up for damn near any horror story so I’m instantly interested in a movie that uses this location for their film.
Several weeks ago I received the press release for the horror film Blood Barn. This Screambox original looked like it had everything you need to have a good time. It stars the absolutely gorgeous Chloe Cherry and the story looked like one that would be perfect for the cabin in the woods set up. I reached out to them for a review link and they were kind enough to send one over!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a young woman, Josie (Redford), who invites a group of “friends” to her family old farm that has long since been abandoned. She is trying to impress them but finds herself on the business end of their jokes and bullying. However, as things go on and it’s evident that she will never fit in, things take a bloody turn. Their presence at the old farmhouse has stirred up something sinister which is taking control of them one by one forcing the remaining few to fight for their lives. **Spoiler Alert**
I was really looking forward to this one. I love the title, poster, and synopsis that I read when I received the press release. However, the day before I watched it I found a post in a horror group talking about it and comparing it to Evil Dead. This only fueled my desire to check it out and I have to say that they were not wrong. It does borrow some elements from one of the genre’s best independent films but it has enough originality to be it’s own thing.
The acting in this one is great. I love how by the numbers the characters are. They are extremely cliched but they embrace it. The cast brings a lot of energy and charisma into their roles which makes the scenes a lot of fun. The cast really gets into their roles and it shows.
The story for this one blends slasher elements with films like Demon Wind and Evil Dead. I really liked the premise and how it made use of the “barn” even though it was clearly a house. Regardless, it worked for the most part but a few of the scenes are a bit dialogue heavy with no real reason to them. I don’t know if these scenes were meant to get the most out of Chloe Cherry or what but they do make the film feel a lot longer than it actually is.
Finally, the film has a lot of blood but it’s not as gory as I would have liked. I really enjoyed the deaths for what they were and the effects we do get. The make-up effects are great but some memorable gory moments would have made this movie an unforgettable experience. Overall, Blood Barn was a lot of fun and reminded me a lot of the mid-80s possession movies like Evil Dead II and Demon Wind. While it wasn’t the most memorable film in regards to gore, it was still worth a watch. Check it out.
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