THE American horror film Blood is good enough to help you ignore the fact that Let The Right One In (the 2008 Swedish original version) is still the best version of this story.
Having said that, to be honest this was a pleasant surprise for a blind rental.
Brad Anderson’s 2023 film, from a script by Will Honley, is a different enough variation that delivers some emotional heft and benefits from the strong performance by Michelle Monaghan in the lead role.
She plays Jess, a single mother who moves into an old farmhouse with her two children Tyler and Owen. They are back with her after a period with their father while Jess, a hospital nurse, was recovering from an addiction and not able to take care of them.
Her former husband, played by Skeet Ulrich, isn’t happy about the situation and fears Jess will have a relapse.
Tyler and Owen find the nearby lake at the rear of the property has completely dried up, leaving a dead tree at its centre and a strange atmosphere. Later the family dog goes missing and returns a day later, looking like something out of a Stephen King novel.
When Owen approaches the dog he is savaged and winds up in an induced coma. On waking, Owen has changed and blood appears to be the only nourishment that will sustain him.
Jess hides the strange situation from everyone and starts stealing blood from the hospital. But when that source of supply dries up she is forced into more desperate ways of keeping her child alive.
The story reads like a horror film but for most of the running time it’s more of a drama with horror inflections. Other good performances come from Finlay Wojtak-Hissong as Owen and Skylar Morgan Jones as Tyler.
The final act is quite powerful. Definitely worth a watch.