Bleed With Me, from writer-director Amelia Moses, is a terrifying fever dream that makes you question everything you thought you knew, filled with beautiful imagery and a lot of blood. Timid and self-destructive Rowan (Lee Marshall) goes on a weekend getaway with her friend Emily (Lauren Beatty) and Emily’s boyfriend, Brendan (Aris Tyros), to an isolated cabin in the middle of the woods. While the environment at first appears welcoming, it quickly turns into a waking nightmare after Rowan accidentally cuts her finger while chopping vegetables, causing Emily to suck on her blood. From then on, Rowan begins to suspect that her friend is stealing her blood while she sleeps.

Bleed With Me may be short, but it is extremely effective at creating a chilling and claustrophobic atmosphere. With the soft crackling of the fireplace constantly in the background, there is something very dreamlike about it all, where the things that occur to Rowan almost seem unreal; whether it be because of the bright glow of the morning light that feels blinding or the contrasting dream sequences at night that leave you feeling dizzy.

The performances from Marshall and Beatty are masterful as they go through this game of cat and mouse, where the more Rowan discovers, the less you seem to know. This sense of continuous unease and the questioning of what’s real is what makes Bleed With Me truly great. 

This is a very competently made horror film, where the scares throughout are well deserved. Every aspect of it comes together to deliver an experience to all senses and thoroughly roots itself under your skin. It will certainly be exciting to see what writer-director Moses does next.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Lee Marshall, Lauren Beatty, Aris Tyros

DIRECTOR: Amelia Moses

WRITER: Amelia Moses

SYNOPSIS: During a winter getaway at an isolated cabin, a self-destructive young woman becomes convinced that her best friend is stealing her blood.