The Bloody Man (2020)

The Bloody Man (2020). The Bloody Man: Directed by Daniel Benedict. With Tuesday Knight, Lisa Wilcox, KateLynn E. Newberry, Larry Kenney. In the 1980s, and after the death of his mother, Sam is struggling with family, friends, school, and the most evil being he can imagine – The Bloody Man, who is unknowingly summoned and will stop at nothing to destroy everything Sam holds dear.

“u0026quot;The Bloody Manu0026quot; (Not Rated) from Red Serial Films is a joyously fun film from director Daniel Benedict and writing partner/producer/spouse Casi Benedict, based on a childhood idea of Danielu0026#39;s, now adapted into a feature-length film. The filmu0026#39;s description is as follows: Itu0026#39;s the 1980u0026#39;s, and Sam Harris is dealing with the accidental death of his mother (Lisa Wilcox – A Nightmare on Elm Street Parts 4 u0026amp; 5, Star Trek: The Next Generation). His new stepmom, Kim (Tuesday Knight – A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4, 2000 Malibu Road) is struggling for Samu0026#39;s approval. The sinister Bloody Man is unknowingly summoned and will stop at nothing to destroy everything Sam holds dear. It will take everything Sam has in his attempt to conquer the very embodiment of pure evil.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBeing a fan of Benedictu0026#39;s, itu0026#39;s been a joy to watch him grow as a writer/director over the years, and u0026quot;The Bloody Manu0026quot; is his most impressive work yet, with slick camera movements, a touching story, and a look that cries u0026quot;Iu0026#39;m an 80u0026#39;s movieu0026quot; in all of the right ways.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAt first resembling something akin to a u0026quot;John Hughes-esqueu0026quot; film, complete with the requisite school bullies, squabbling siblings, and a family attempting to come out in one piece after a tragedy, it doesnu0026#39;t take long for u0026quot;The Bloody Manu0026quot; to develop into what it really is: a grin-inducing throwback and love letter to the 80u0026#39;s with a surprising amount of heart. Along the way, u0026quot;The Bloody Manu0026quot; proudly tips its hat to horror franchises like the u0026quot;Nightmare on Elm Streetu0026quot; and u0026quot;Evil Dead,u0026quot; and manages to throw in a healthy dose of 80u0026#39;s inspired nostalgia to sweeten the pot.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile the movie admittedly feels like a bit of a slow-burn at first (the film clocks in at 133 minutes, including credits), when it was over, I couldnu0026#39;t think of any scenes that I would have cut. The occasional flashbacks to protagonist Sam Harrisu0026#39;s birth mother would, in a Hollywood film, be the first likely victims of such trimming, but they become increasingly important to the plot and understanding of Samu0026#39;s character as the film goes on. The ability to leave them in is an added bonus of u0026quot;The Bloody Manu0026quot; being an independent film, without the u0026quot;movie-by-committeeu0026quot; feeling that many larger-budget films can have on occasion, which often sacrifice character moments to the editing bay floor for the sake of achieving a speedier runtime.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLikewise, slight detours taken to introduce concepts integral to the understanding of the filmu0026#39;s antagonist, told u0026quot;campfire-storyu0026quot; style by each sibling, are equally indispensable. Each account is entertaining, particularly the one told by Samu0026#39;s younger sister, Amy. Understanding the villain aside, I also enjoyed them for the simple fact that they reminded me of 80u0026#39;s anthology horror movies in their u0026quot;not really related to the overall film, yet TOTALLY related to the overall filmu0026quot; style. (I feel I should add that Iu0026#39;m quite fond of u0026quot;slow burnu0026quot; horror movies, anyway. Stanley Kubricku0026#39;s u0026quot;The Shining,u0026quot; for example, would hardly be the classic it is if it had been trimmed to a quick 88 minutes)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRegardless, those early feelings regarding the movieu0026#39;s runtime quickly fade as the story ramps up with the introduction of its villain, the titular u0026quot;Bloody Man.u0026quot; Seemingly springing from a comic included with Samu0026#39;s u0026quot;Barbarian Manu0026quot; action figure (an obvious, and welcome, u0026quot;Masters of the Universeu0026quot; nod), the Bloody Man is an ancient evil force whose purpose is to tear apart loving families. Samu0026#39;s family, each member still dealing with loss in their own way, would appear ripe for the picking and/or slaughtering, but looks can be deceiving. Can Sam and his family overcome the Bloody Manu0026#39;s threat? Youu0026#39;ll have to watch the movie to find out.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile u0026quot;The Bloody Manu0026quot; will hit the most home runs with adults who grew up in the 80u0026#39;s and remain nostalgic for that particular decade and the entertainment that helped shape it, the filmu0026#39;s themes of family and unity are universal and have the potential to resonate with anyone. In the end, thatu0026#39;s what the film is really about. The 80u0026#39;s trappings and references are just icing on the cake. Rating: Highly Recommended”