FANTASIA 2020 REVIEW: BLEED WITH ME

By Amie in Splatteriffic Reviews on August 25, 2020

Writer and Director Amelia Moses has crafted a beautiful slow burn of psychological terror in BLEED WITH ME.

Rowan (Lee Marshall) is tagging along on a weekend getaway with couple Emily (Lauren Beatty) and Brendan (Aris Tyros). The three shack up together in Emily’s isolated family cabin, cozying up with wine and conversation as a snowstorm covers the cabin and grounds outside.

It’s clear from the outset that Rowan has strong emotions for Emily that go beyond platonic BFF feels (listen up, folks, the sexual tension is REAL here!), and while Brendan can’t quite pin that part down, he does know that something with Rowan being there seems a little, “off.” As the weekend stretches on, Rowan starts to feel even more adrift from the couple, experiencing vivid nightmares and glimpsing some very, very strange behavior from Emily.

What starts as subtle suspicion crawls towards horrific revelation as Rowan starts to dig into Emily’s past and find clues about what might be happening. But is it real? Or just a figment of Rowan’s own disintegrating reality?

In addition to some mind-blowingly gorgeous shots, all three actors deserve SO MUCH credit for drawing you into the story. Marshall is a gem; stretching her range from shy and reserved to paranoid strength; Beatty is FANTASTIC at concealing her emotions while hinting that something sinister may lurk beneath, and Tyros is a natural as just being well … natural.

I watched this one twice in a row because it left such an imprint on me; I’ll be thinking about BLEED WITH ME for a very long time, and I hope it gets a wider release soon!