Let’s imagine for one second that vampires were real, just not in the way that you think. In this world, Blood (like, actual blood) turns you into a blood-craving zombie, some hidden disease taking over your body. Dust, a synthetic, is just as dangerous, and overdosing on either of the two means certain death — by way of the disease, or by government “prevention.” Screambox Original Bleeding gives us an eye into this world of realistic “vampirism,” where addiction, trafficking, and lore combine into a sobering tale of escape — and escapism.
In a world where vampire blood is harvested as a drug, two desperate teenagers on the run from a vicious dealer break into an empty house and find a sleeping girl locked inside.
Bleeding, IMDB
Bleeding is definitely not your typical vampire flick. It is raw. It feels real, with no bursting into flames or elongated fangs. There is a sort of subtlety to this vampire disease that lets the acting shine through. Eric (John R. Howley), Sara (Tori Wong), and Sean (Jasper Jones) perfectly meld their characters together in this story. Whether they’re fighting or releasing pent-up feelings through monologue (or even flashback), they really sell it. Of course being a vampire film, there is blood too, but I wouldn’t say Bleeding is absolutely drenched in it. It’s a smarter scare that doesn’t dwell on gore.
What stuck out most to me wasn’t the blood drinking or depictions of overdosing; it was the sounds. From the beginning to the end, Bleeding subjects you to the most guttural, squelching, squishy noises that can only come from placing your ear to someone else’s body — noises you would hear your own body make. Low rumbles, wet gurgles, rasping and choking. They rise from the silence and evolve into piano melodies that I can only describe as melancholic. I didn’t know a film could make me feel so… lost, if that’s the right word. It is what I can only imagine dealing with a family member with addiction feels like.
If you’re looking for realistic brutality by way of a vampire-turning drug, Bleeding is the way to go. It may be on the quieter side of horror, but it’ll still sober you up good n’ plenty!
Bleeding streams exclusively on Screambox today!
