THE BLOODHOUND (2020) Reviews and overview

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The Bloodhound is a 2020 American horror film about a young man’s visit to a wealthy and reclusive friend that leads to fear and despair.

Written and directed by Patrick Picard – making his feature debut – and loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe‘s short story The Fall of the House of Usher, the Love & Death Productions-Pfaff & Pfaff Productions movie stars Liam Aiken, Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil), Joe Adler, McNally Sagal, Kimleigh Smith, Gaby Santinelli and Dylan Gentile. Produced by Thomas R. Burke, Alex Don, Jason Don and Leal Naim.

Plot:

Francis (Liam Aiken), a dispossessed young man, is summoned to the secluded home of his wealthy childhood friend, JP Luret (Joe Adler), who is suffering from a mysterious affliction.

Upon his arrival, Francis realises that JP and his ethereal twin sister Vivian (Annalise Basso) are the sole surviving members of the privileged Luret family, whose legacy has been one of depression and self-destruction, and the only occupants of their family estate.

As the old friends attempt to reconnect, a number of inexplicable incidents begin to occur within the house, and Francis finds himself drawn into a world of malaise and despair, where an act of betrayal might provide his only way out…

Blurb:

“From Leal Naim and Thomas R. Burke, producers of The Endless and Synchronic; and featuring some remarkable performances from its trio of lead actors, The Bloodhound leads you on a journey exploring themes that are as relevant to today as ever before, such as the yearning for emotional connection, the perils of social isolation and the fragility of mental health.”

Reviews:

The Bloodhound is an intense, atmospheric and darkly comedic tribute to the horror of Edgar Allan Poe, and a strong first entry for Patrick Picard. If his work continues to exude the same unsettling nihilistic macabre as this debut offering then I for one am in for the long haul.” Beyond the Veil

“The story is an interwoven and tangled web of lies, half-truths, and intrigue that offers the young cast a great amount of material to sink their teeth into. Both Liam Aiken and Joe Adler work wonderfully together, with Joe Adler giving a great performance that has eerie echoes of a young Michael Pitt. He wonderfully portrays the eccentricities and manic episodes of the Howard Hughes wannabe, which gives Aiken plenty to act against.” The Hollywood News

“Visually, the movie is sharp as a tack, so it’s too bad the performances don’t have that same focus, not to mention the free-wheeling script.  The Bloodhound dream that Jean Paul relates sends the requisite chill and I leaned forward-thinking the film was beginning to get interesting, but Picard sacrifices that intensity of mood for more unbalanced back and forth between Aiken and Adler.” The MN Movie Man

“It’s essentially a two-hander, and if you can’t get on the quirky wavelength surfed by its stark storytelling, you may find it a bit of a patience tester. I managed to stay on board out of curiosity value more than anything else, and the film does have a rewardingly bleak coda that makes it worth sticking with. But like the barely furnished, modernist home it plays out in, The Bloodhound is a film that could use an injection of warmth and life.” The Movie Waffler

“A directorial debut that embraces the gothic The Fall of the House of Usher and reimagines it is a tall order. However, Patrick Picard pulls it off. With a full understanding of the source material, he creates a script that takes us on a journey, where we must untangle the information we receive from the seemingly unreliable and mentally unhinged JP.” Nightmarish Conjurings

“While there is direction and inertia in the development of events in The Bloodhound, it is far more about watching old friends try to force a reunion than it is anything to be logically sorted out. To merely exist in this world is unsettling enough without adding on top some useless mental gymnastics to make sense of it all. This is the type of film that would be incredibly frustrating for a viewer who needs everything to make sense or have a tidy explanation.” Rue Morgue

“Granted, those that need shocks and jump scares will probably still find it rough going. But those who like quieter, more literary genre efforts will like this. Pickard was smart enough to keep the film to a relatively brief 72 minutes. Films like this are best when they get the story told before it can bog down in its own words. The Bloodhound does just that and gets out just in time with an effective last shot.” Voices from the Balcony

Release:

Arrow Video released The Bloodhound on December 1st 2020 via their streaming platform.

Arrow Video will release the film on Blu-ray on March 23rd, 2021. Special features:

Audio commentary by director Patrick Pacard and editor David Scorca
On the Trail of Bloodhound: Behind the Scenes
Four short films from the director
Booklet featuring writings of the film critic Anton Bitel

Cast and characters:

Liam Aiken … Francis
Annalise Basso … Vivian
Joe Adler … Jean-Paul ‘JP’ Luret
McNally Sagal … Doctor Ricki
Kimleigh Smith … Mrs Hoff
Gaby Santinelli … Natasha
Dylan Gentile … Male Pianist

Related:

HOUSE OF USHER aka THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (1960) Reviews and recommended

Trailer:

YouTube reviews:

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