There have been numerous horror movies and thrillers that take place in a cabin in the woods -- Misery, Evil Dead, Cabin Fever, and, of course, Cabin in the Woods. Now, Bleed With Me, written and directed by Amelia Moses, joins this chilling subgenre. However, the Shudder original film does not stand out as much as its inspired predecessors, despite its unique attempts to tell a psychological story about paranoia and friendship with vampiric elements.
Bleed With Me centers its story on Rowan (Lee Marshall) joining her new friend, Emily (Lauren Betty), and Emily's boyfriend, Brendan (Aris Tyros), on their winter getaway to the family cabin. This appears to be the early stages of their friendship, with Rowan not fully trusting Emily. In fact, Rowan believes Emily is stealing her blood in the middle of the night.
One of the things that Bleed With Me has going for it is simplicity. From a small cast to a contained location in a winter setting with warm lighting, the film creates a cozy vibe, which plays well against the contrasting awkwardness inside the cabin. While Rowan and Emily both want to become closer, it's clear they're still navigating their new dynamic. It's also clear that Brendan was hoping for some one-on-one time with his girlfriend. At times he's the third wheel, and, at other moments, Rowan is. Juxtaposing the awkwardness against the comfortable setting making the film more unsettling and feeds into Rowan's paranoia.
However, this awkwardness has a huge downside, which is it's unclear why these characters are invested in one another. We're told they like each other, but what's seen are cumbersome dynamics that give off mixed signals. Along with it being hard for viewers to get invested in these characters, it also works against the obsessive elements Bleed With Me is trying to push.
While Bleed With Me feels like it's going to be about Stockholm syndrome or something like Munchausen syndrome by proxy, it doesn't commit to this narrative about one person harming and isolating another to secure their relationship. This isn't the only element that's teased but not fully explored, as the same could be said for its vampiric elements. Bleed With Me had the opportunity to reimagine one of horror's most iconic monsters -- the vampire. If vampires were an inspiration, then maybe the ambiguity could've worked; however, it feels like the film was trying to push a "vampire" story without telling one. That's not to say one can't tell a more grounded and subtle vampiric story. It's possible, but this isn't it.
Perhaps what makes these elements feel underdeveloped is the fact that there are several dream sequences, undermining what is real and what is not. This raises a lot of questions about who is telling the truth, who is in the wrong, and what is happening, and it doesn't feel like this mystery was the intent. If it was, it's not too satisfying.
Despite these flaws, the actors deserve major props, as it's just the three of them on screen. Regardless of how awkward the dynamics between the characters are, they feel like real people who either don't want to be here or are here for the wrong reasons.
Kudos also go to Moses, as this is her first feature film. Certain elements and characters are not fully developed, but there is enough there to make us excited for her future films, especially when she can create an environment that makes audiences feel like they're in the room with the characters. While Bleed With Me -- now on Shudder -- isn't a stand out vampire, obssesion or cabin in the woods movie, it's a solid entry for a director's debut feature.