‘Bloodline Killer’ (2024)

‘Bloodline Killer’ is a horror thriller that follows the Cole family. Survivor of a serial killer, known as Skulleton (Adam Shippey and Damian Maffei), Moira Cole (Shawnee Smith) tries to lead a normal life until the murderer returns and begins to torment her again.

Opening on Halloween night at the Cole family home, Connor (James Gaudioso) and his father Dillon (Sal Rendino) are fielding trick-or-treaters as Connor studies for his MCATs with Moira resting upstairs. Moira’s deranged cousin Lee (a.k.a. Skulleton) has escaped the institution he was held at for having murdered her father and lures Dillon out of the house, murdering him in front of Connor before Moira shoots him.

Reminiscent of John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’ (1978), the film borrows elements of the classic slasher. Introducing a troubled heroine stalked by a relentless killer, the film goes beyond what could be considered as paying homage to the cult hit, selecting a plethora of elements from what begot the beloved franchise and has resulted in a cheap knock-off of the classic.

The story introduces many horror tropes, also taking elements from Wes Craven’s filmography, unapologetically grabbing with both hands to inject as many familiar motifs into the story as possible. Trying to create a compelling narrative of a tortured survivor not ready to relent to the killer, ‘Bloodline Killer’ results in a less than suspenseful pastiche of well known tropes, verging almost on parody adaptation rather than an acknowledgment of its slasher forerunners.

Centering on Moira, the film incorporates a strong-willed survivor hell-bent on retaining some semblance of a normal life, as it is later revealed that she was in fact the one to coerce her cousin into killing her abusive father. Complicating the story, Lee’s sister Sam (Taryn Manning) gets involved as she is the one to find him after being shot and nurses him back to health. Unaware that Sam is her cousin, Moira mistakes her for a stalker, due to the film franchise that had spawned from her story, as she had sold rights to it years prior. Adding to the confusion, the film tries to incorporate too many different threads which are eventually not addressed.

A further subplot focuses on Moira’s sons, - Connor and Michael (Drew Moerlein) who are unable to lead normal lives due to the trauma caused by losing their father. Simmering in the background, having suffered the most as he witnessed his father’s execution, Connor serves as the representation of unaddressed and unprocessed trauma. Even though Gaudioso gets more than enough screen time, the film fails to develop his arc beyond emotionally destroyed and over-encumbered martyr.

Incorporating multiple other themes and characters, the film also showcases the detective duo of Cyphers (Tyrese Gibson) and Fink (Kresh Novakovic), the latter of which is soon replaced by detective James (Anthony Gaudioso), an alleged Skulleton fanatic. Afforded too little time and little beyond familiar cop dialogue, the characters fall flat when it comes to their involvement in the climax of the film.

Most egregious of the ‘Bloodline Killer’s offenses however stems from the lack of suspense and horror in the film. What transpires for the first two thirds of the film can only be described as mundane family drama, leading to an underwhelming, predictable and disappointing culmination where Moira and her sons confront Lee. The climax sees the group battle the ax-wielding murderer one by one, and defeat him only as they join forces to throw him, and themselves, through a ground floor window. Most disappointingly, Skulleton runs from the scene, not to even be stopped by two gun wielding police officers.

A futile and underwhelming gesture, ‘Bloodline Killer’ has the feel of cheap imitation of its slasher forefathers, delivering a dismal viewing experience that elicits little reaction beyond contempt for the film’s creators and an overwhelming sense of lack of enthusiasm and understanding of what makes a great slasher film. Borrowing most of its component parts to form a thriller, the film fails to deliver anything beyond a jumbled interpretation of a scary movie.

Score: 0/4