BLEEDING
In a world where infected blood has become the most dangerously addictive opioid, a teen must cross moral lines to save his spiraling cousin and a reluctant acquaintance.
The blood of the infected is harvested and dried into pill form. People are turning into vampires during an overdose and then using others as incubators to feed their needs or sell to the masses. Society has turned its back, deeming the cursed monsters, even airing reality television series in the vein of COPS, showing the brutal deaths of infected individuals.
Following the overdose death of his brother, Eric’s coping mechanism for his unresolved trauma is breaking and entering to avoid his home life. A visit to his junkie cousin Sean’s house leads to the accidental destruction of a bag of drugs. Now, the boys must devise a plan to find the funds to pay back Sean’s dealer.
After Eric and Sean break into what they assume to be a vacation home, they discover Marcus’s close friend, Sarah, zip-tied in a dark bedroom. Two scumbags are farming her. When Sean needs a fix, he can’t resist her vulnerable neck. Except he’s never had pure blood, and the lure puts him over the edge. Sarah prevents him from turning.
She and Eric strike a deal for survival- He will try to get her across the Canadian border for experimental treatment in exchange for a jar of her blood to pay off Sean’s debt. Sean makes his way to the dealer Dustin’s house alone. Little does he know who he’s dealing with. His ultimate selfishness may be everyone’s undoing.
Jasper Jones is a pretty boy screw-up. His tough-guy persona leads to stupid decisions. Jones is incredibly watchable. He expertly leans into a character that feels deeply punchable but shows us we’re missing the root cause. Jones delivers the manic behavior of addiction like a pro. It is an impressive turn.
John R. Howley is dazzling as Eric. He takes a wounded bird, combines it with fearless desperation, and demands your attention. It’s unfathomable that this is his first film role. There is a bright and busy future ahead for this young man.
Cinematographer Daniel Cho takes advantage of the ever-changing natural light as the film plays out in relatively real time. BLEEDING will make a perfect companion watch with MY HEART WON’T BLEED UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO. Both films center on complex family relationships and bargaining with death. Filmmaker Andrew Bell creates an endlessly intriguing meditation on cyclical addiction. This new take on the vampire genre is undeniably refreshing. BLEEDING is so dark it may consume you whole.
BLEEDING Trailer:
BLEEDING is available on Screambox + VOD beginning Tuesday, June 10th. (Today!!)
Written & Directed by: Andrew Bell
Produced by: Nicholas Payne Santos, Bofan Zhang, and Kenneth Green
Starring: John R. Howley, Jasper Jones, and Tori Wong
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Mimi Kuzyk
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