MOVIE REVIEW: BLOOD VESSEL

Australia comes through with a tight little horror gem set on the high seas with Blood Vessel.

Written and directed by Justin Dix, a relatively new director given that I was only able to find one other movie in his filmography (Crawlspace 2012). If this effort is any indication of what he can do though on a tight budget I’ll definitely be checking out his other projects, both past and future. Dix has been producing spfx for most of his career and much like the Stan Winston film Pumpkinhead its clear that he knows how to best film his monstrous creations. He has an eye for good cinematography and framing, showing good instincts for when to show the horror and when to just tease it or even imply.

The premise of the film is set in WWII where we are introduced to the survivors of a torpedoed hospital ship adrift at sea in the middle of the ocean in the darkness of night. The opening title makes great use of the camera pulling up and away high over the small life boat to illustrate the bleak fate of the characters as you see them surrounded by nothing but black ocean from high above. Its a great shot that sets the mood right away. Salvation seems to come in the form of a hauntingly creaking, eerily empty German minesweeper passing by. The sound design in this particular scene is quite excellent as the ship before its reveal sounds like some leviathan approaching in the dark. In something of a throwback to older films (thinking mainly of the 70s here) several decks (and therefore windows) within the ship are lit with red emergency lights, adding to the sense of possible alarm and dread. While some might find this old school technique a bit heavy handed, I found it both nostalgic and appropriate for what was to come. It also makes for a nice contrast the the predominate palette of blues and blacks that serve to conceal the evil within the vessel.

As a set piece the ship itself makes for a fine character. It is dark and grimy, seemingly adrift for some unknown amout of time and yet still running, a detail that adds to the mystery as our hapless protagonist start to discover signs of bloodshed, violence and bodies on their search for food and shelter. The interiors are appropriately dark, seemingly wet thanks to the lighting, claustrophobic in construction and always leaving one apprehensive for what could be lurking just around the corner.Â The cast do a fine job with their roles despite the fact that many of them are stereotypes for a horror film, whith such characters as The Asshole, The Tough Guy, The Sympathetic Girl, The Coward, The Leader, etc. Still even with such classic tropes in play the story manages to give each of the character some amount of depth and even a bit of an arc. While not the most fleshed out there is enough to work with here and the actors do a credible job of bringing what could have been throw away characters to life in lesser hands. It was enough to make me dislike the right people and root for the rest, hoping they would survive the nightmare they had stumbled into. A particular standout for me is a little girl named Mya found on board who reminded me very much of Newt from Aliens with shades of Eli from Let The Right One In.

I’ll admit that I’ve got a soft spot for nautical horror and Blood Vessel while clearly not a big budget film doesn’t disappoint. Taking its time to build up suspense and atmosphere similar to David Twohy’s excellent Below. Like that film this movie takes its time getting to the good stuff, savoring the developing dread and tension mounting between the crew while they attempt to seek salvation on the derelict. While not surprised by the menace on board the ship I enjoyed the designs of the creatures (something that could have looked silly of filmed by a lesser director) and abilities possessed by them that is rarely seen in modern cinema. Sorry no spoilers, go watch the film!

4 out of 5