Bloodline focuses on Evan Cole, played by Seann William Scott, a high school counselor who’s also trying to adjust to fatherhood after the birth of his son. Many of the students that speak with him go through many traumatic experiences at home, having been abused by a relative or someone else with a major presence in their life. Empathizing with these kids, Evan sneaks out of the house each night and decides to take matters into his own hands to help end their pain, also satisfying a dark sinister bloodlust of his own in the process. And all the while, he has to keep this a secret from his wife, played by Mariela Garriga.
For those who watch a lot of television, the one elephant in the room when it comes to watching this film is the fact that it shares a lot of similarities with the series Dexter, in which a forensic technician for the police tries to have a normal life, all the while satisfying his own bloodlust by tracking down serial killers on his own and murdering them, and neatly covering up all the evidence. Bloodline is essentially the closest thing to Dexter in movie form, with some minor differences.
If one’s a fan of that television series or at least knows anything about that show, this may feel like a bit of a rip-off, and it may be hard to shake that feeling off. Though as far as I know, this is the first time this sort of setup has been portrayed in movie form, in which case, there is some sense of originality, depending on how one looks at it. And the way this is translated on the big screen is done pretty well, for the most part.
The main point of intrigue when it comes to this movie is Seann William Scott, who hasn’t been in a horror movie since Final Destination, back in 2000, which was one of his first roles. And this is one of the rare times where he plays someone who has much more gravitas to him than his usual roles of goofy, vulgar burnouts like in American Pie or Road Trip. And he does a really great job carrying this film. A lot of what makes this film enjoyable is his lead performance.
He knows how to be menacing in a scene without coming off as over-the-top, and the moments where he’s required to give off more emotion are also really well-done. He’s someone who one can find themselves invested in, despite the fact that he is in essence a serial killer himself. This is a film that requires the audience to be emotionally invested in someone who does horrible things, even though he’s essentially targeting people who are criminals and escape being brought to justice themselves. In that way, especially for those who also haven’t seen Dexter, this can feel a bit divisive.
Though the film does a pretty good job about not manipulating things to make audiences actively root for a serial killer, despite the circumstances. It presents a story, and gives enough emotion fueling both sides of the argument as to whether or not one should root for this counselor who takes matters into his own hands. In a way, it's somewhat neutral at times.
There are scenes that express how he feels like he’s doing the right thing, but there are plenty of sequences that show how his actions affect those he’s trying to help. Some of the students, not knowing that it was their counselor that did away with their problems, wind up telling him how conflicted they are about their relative who suddenly went “missing,” despite the fact they may have been abusive. These moments show just how loaded at times human nature could be, and they just don’t portray this as a black-and-white vigilante story.
The direction in this film is another one of this film’s biggest highlights. This is director Henry Jacobson’s first time directing a feature film, and he does a really good job giving off a frightening atmosphere, mainly in the scenes in which Cole confronts his students’ tormentors. The shots are very close up, and feel very tight, giving off a claustrophobic sense, and these moments are supported by a very tense soundtrack.
It’s unknown at first what Cole may do, and it can keep one on the edge of their seats. Plus, these scenes tend to be very bloody, and while the shots are quick, there are times where the violence depicted in this film can be pretty graphic, and it gives a sense of discomfort to those who are watching it. This film does a great job giving off the right level of creepiness that should be in a horror movie.
In terms of narrative structure, that’s ultimately where this movie suffers, and is what prevents this from being a great horror movie. The main issue being that it often feels repetitive after a while. While the scenes of Cole confronting these horrible people are very tense to watch, these do make up the majority of the film, and rather than further diving into the complexity of some of these characters, it will feel a little “rinse-and-repeat” after a while.
And this is especially noticeable, given how this film introduces a few other ideas that never feel fully developed as a result. In particular, there’s a minor subplot involving Cole’s mother Marie, played by Dale Dickey, that definitely should have been a much bigger deal than it was portrayed here. Dickey gives a solid performance with the material she was given, but the film deviates a bit to focus on her character for a few brief moments, only to almost never revisit this plot again once it is initially brought up. It would have been great to see more of the dynamic between Dickey and Scott, and it feels like a wasted opportunity that was instead shafted to see the same old thing over and over again at times.
Bloodline is a flawed, though surprisingly enjoyable horror movie that makes for a respectable entry in the genre. While it does have some glaringly obvious similarities to the series Dexter, if one’s able to get over that, there’s plenty to appreciate here. It contains some really great direction by Henry Jacobson, with some very tense, atmospheric moments that can make one feel uncomfortable at times. And while narratively, it can feel a bit repetitive and doesn’t explore some ideas as much as it should, it’s still overall an enjoyable watch, especially due to a standout performance by Seann William Scott, who really shows that he has much more range than one might expect.
Recommendation: Watch It
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