Bloodthirsty

Recently in the Canadian festival Fantasia we had been able to discover the first film of the director Amelia Moses and had been conquered by her approach, the care given to the direction of the actors and especially by a perfectly mastered story. Less than a month later, at another festival, Fantastic Fest, we had the chance to discover her second feature film Bloodthirsty based on a script by Wendy Hill-Tout and Lowell. In the line of his first film, we have to admit that Bloodthirsty exceeds our expectations and delivers us an ambitious, original and mastered werewolf movie. It seems that this genre is making a comeback with no less than three films presented on this theme at the Fantastic Fest, whether it is Teddy by Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma or the new film by Jim Cummings The wolf of Snow Hollow.

When we think of werewolf films we think of two films in particular, An American Werewolf in London (1981) by John Landis and The Howling (1981). These two films, directed by inspired directors, marked their time because they relied on innovative special effects, inspired actors and a frighteningly effective script. Other films have tried to tackle this theme but with much less success. Bloodthirsty by Amelia Moses succeeds where the film Teddy (an excellent comedy by the way) failed to make its creature credible and did not manage to create a worrying atmosphere.

Bloodthirsty is not only a simple horror film, it is also a portrait of the music industry in which young performers are trying to break through and are ready to do anything to do so. So when Grey, a singer-songwriter, began working on her second album, she was lucky enough to work with a famous music producer, Vaughn Daniels. Unfortunately, as the investment comes in, Grey's behavior will totally change to the point of worrying her best friend but also making her have surprising dreams. Her transformation into a werewolf will not only change her but also make her a dangerous creature as well as an accomplished artist.

The film's numerous musical sequences breathe new life into the werewolf film genre and, above all, show us that music is intrinsically linked to our nature. By tackling the creation of music, Bloodthirsty leaves the simple confines of the genre film to embrace a more universal dimension. Boasting the presence of Lauren Beatty (jigsaw (2017), Bleed with me (2020)), the film easily stands out as a Fantasia Fest highlight.

The director Amelia Moses, as in her first film, takes great care to give a real psychological thickness to her characters and sprinkles her film with shocking scenes. Far from following the straightforward path of genre films, she blurs the lines, leaves doubt about the true nature of Vaughn Daniels and succeeds in giving life to a werewolf as disturbing as she is dangerous. The great care given to the interpretation and the special effects make Bloodthirsty one of the best films of the Fantasia Fest, but above all a very successful werewolf film, as tragic as it is emotional. The successful ending shows that we must accept ourselves as we are and take our destiny in hand to succeed in our career and personal life.

Bloodthirsty
Directed by Amelia Moses
Produced by Wendy Hill-Tout, Michael Peterson
Written by Wendy Hill-Tout, Lowell
Starring Lauren Beatty, Greg Bryk, Katharine King So, Michael Ironside, Judith Buchan, Jayce McKenzie, Jesse Gervais
Music by Michelle Osis
Cinematography : Charles Hamilton
Edited by David Hiatt
Production companies : Brainstorm media
Distributed by Brainstorm media
Release date : April 23, 2021 (USA)
Running time : 85 minutes

Seen on September 26, 2020 (press screener)

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