The Bloodhound (2020 film)

The Bloodhound is a 2020 American mystery thriller film written and directed by Patrick Picard, inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe short story "The Fall of the House of Usher."[1][2][3] It was to be released at the Emergence Films Festival, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was later purchased to be distributed by Arrow Films in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.[3][4]

The Bloodhound
Poster
Directed byPatrick Picard
Written byPatrick Picard
Produced byLeal Naim
Thomas R. Burke
StarringLiam Aiken
Annalise Basso
Joe Adler
CinematographyJake Magee
Edited byDavid Scorca
Production
companies
Love & Death Productions (LDP)
Pfaff & Pfaff Productions
Distributed byArrow Films
Release date
  • December 1, 2020 (2020-12-01) (United States)[1]
Running time
72 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Synopsis

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After being invited to visit a wealthy childhood friend and his twin sister at his home in a remote location, Francis is plagued by strange events.[1]

Cast

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  • Liam Aiken as Francis
  • Annalise Basso as Vivian
  • Joe Adler as Jean Paul Luret
  • McNally Sagal as Dr. Ricki
  • Kimleigh Smith as Mrs. Hoff
  • Gaby Santinelli as Natasha
  • Dylan Gentile as pianist

Reception

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On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 86% based on 14 reviews.[1] Kat Hughes, writing for THN said the film is "atmospheric and unsettling, The Bloodhound is an impressively stylish and intellectual debut that weaves a tangled web of lies, half-truths, and intrigue."[5]

Writing for Variety, Dennis Harvey said that "Patrick Picard’s debut feature is more persuasive as a stylistic exercise than as horror or psychodrama, growing a bit arid even at just 72 terse minutes. But those with an affinity for genre material in a cryptic, ascetic arthouse mode may fall under its chilly spell, and even those who don’t may be curious to see what this writer-director does next."[2]

Zoe Rose Smith, in her review for Zobo With A Shotgun said that "The Bloodhound is perhaps one of the most disconcerting, confusing and bizarre films to grace the screen, but that just adds to the atmosphere and intrigue of it."[6] Joey Keogh, in his analysis for the Vague Visages stated that "even when nothing particularly scary is happening, the sensation that it's about to at any moment is suffocating. Overall, Picard's film is unsettling, tense and incredibly strange."[7]

It was listed by Paste magazine in 2021 as one of the "13 Best Edgar Allan Poe Adaptations".[8]

References

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  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "The Bloodhound". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Harvey, Dennis (December 18, 2020). "'The Bloodhound' Review: A Cryptic Crossing of the River Poe". Variety. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Arrow Buys Mystery-Thriller 'The Bloodhound' For English-Speaking Territories – AFM". Deadline. November 10, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  4. ^ "Catching Up With the AFI Alumni Team Behind the New Mystery-Thriller Film THE BLOODHOUND". Afi. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  5. ^ "Home Entertainment: 'The Bloodhound' digital review". THN. November 30, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  6. ^ "The Bloodhound 2020 review". Zobo with a Shotgun. December 21, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  7. ^ Keogh, Joey (December 16, 2020). "The Bloodhound Review: Joey Keogh on Patrick Picard's Film". Vague Visages.
  8. ^ Oller, Jacob (October 27, 2021). "The 13 Best Edgar Allan Poe Adaptations". Paste Magazine. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
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