Blood Born is a horror film first released in 2021 that was directed and written by Reed Shusterman with music by Ryan Rapsys. The protagonists were played by Rosie Moss who appeared as Makayla, Antoine Perry as Eric, and Melanie Haynes as Ola. Other cast members included Laurine Price, Cole Gerdes, Leah Verrill, and Stacey Moley. The film’s associate producer was Adria Baratta, and the other three producers were Cindi Rice, Dana Guerin, and John Frank Rosenblum.
The main plot of Blood Born 2021
The film opens up with a couple (Eric and Makayla) struggling with infertility. Having reached their breaking point they are convinced that they will not be having a child until they meet a doula (Ola) who promises them a magical solution to their problem.
In order to help them with conceiving, Ola moves into their home where she starts introducing them to a number of magical rituals. This process is both physically and emotionally taxing for the couple and the situation reads a head when they realize that their baby might not end up being human. This leaves them conflicted over their willingness to go so far in order to have a family.
Release information of Blood Born 2021
The film was originally released online on the 16th of July 2021. The total duration of the film is 92 minutes. The film was shot in Whittier, California, USA, and was produced by the company Epic Level Entertainment.
Cast of Blood Born 2021
The film has a relatively big cast but the main roles are of Makayla and Eric are played by Rosie Moss and Antoine Perry respectively. The doula, Ola, is played by Melanie Haynes. In the cast one can also find Laurine Price as Cherise, Cole Gerdes as Dr. Zekeny, Leah Verrill as Susan, Stacey Moseley as Marcia, Jody Jaress as Lilith, Tracy Winters as Greta, and Jennifer Daley as Laura among others. The narrator is Colin Cassidy.
Blood Born 2021 Trailers
The Blood Born official trailer was released on Youtube. The trailer covers some of the key elements of the film including the struggles of the couple and their wish to get pregnant. It also shows some of the darker moments in the film.
Reviews of Blood Born 2021
The film Blood Born has both some strong points and some weaker ones. Many viewers have drawn parallels between this film and Rosemary’s baby. This in part is because both films deal with the darker side of conception and the idea of bringing a non-human child into this world. This fear relating to pregnancy is translated extremely well into this film, probably because it draws on the director’s own personal experiences.
One of the strongest points of this film is actually the directing as the film is generally very well shot despite its smallest budget. This helps break the film away from low-budget horror films that tend to suffer from both a cinematographic and directorial aspect. Outside of the great directing, the casting choices for this film have also been generally very well regarded.
The performance given by Melanie Haynes in particular has widely been considered not only entertaining but highly engaging. Ola is extremely charming at first and in general, she appears to have the couple convinced about her ability to help. As the role of Ola is so integral for bringing the darkest aspects of this film, this is something many people have been glad to see.
Where some horror fans might find this film a bit disappointing is in its early scenes. This in part is because the first part of this film is more lighthearted and even silly at times and while the knowledge of what is bound to happen next helps develop this eerie feeling, the film itself does not become very dark until the final act. Of course, this is something some people have also seen as a positive as it helps develop the emotional connection with the characters and keeps the viewer entertained until the time of the truly darker twists comes.
In terms of location, the use of the interior space, in particular, Eric’s and Makayla’s house helps bring out this sort of hopeless restlessness and claustrophobia. However, this is by no means original and it is in fact something that many horror films utilize as a tool for making the viewer understand the narrowed space of living given to the characters.
The lack of a big budget also played a big role in the outcome of the film as it is widely considered to be underwhelming due to the lack of special effects and editing. While the plot and script are not necessarily lacking in this regard, it appears as though the execution leaves a lot to be desired for regular horror viewers who want to feel like the film, they are watching has captured all of the elements of a true thriller or horror film including the gore and gruesomeness.
Overall, most viewers of this film will be left feeling the same things. While the strengths of the plot are widely agreed on, and the connections with Rosemary’s baby are widely discussed, there is an overall problem with the execution. While from a directing standpoint the film is shot well, the underwhelming nature of the final scenes caused in part by the lack of funding and resources to spend on editing and special effects has left most people feeling indifferent to this film. While it is a generally enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half it will by no means become an essential horror film for lovers of the genre. The lack of gore and the heavy stress of the emotional subtleties of the film simply do not let it break out as a star in the genre.