Tied in Blood and Contacting the Darkness: A Movie Review

*full disclosure: a screener of this film was provided by Gravitas Ventures.

Director: Matthew Lawrence.

Writer: David Ross.

Cast: Paul McEwan, Kenneth G. Hodgson and Laura O'Donoughue.

When a ghost story depends more on the horrors discovered within each person’s own past, Tied in Blood really should have been produced as a literary novel instead of being made as a movie. This film makes full use of what a ghost means in prose. They are harbingers of a transcendental truth, they are figures used by some writers to motivate the living to do what is right, and they seek atonement—think Hamlet.

This film almost has two narratives going on. One is about Robert Brandon (Paul McEwan), a medium who is frustrated with the parlour tricks he has to perform, and the other is about George Morris (Kenneth G. Hodgson), a man who discovers his family dead at the start of the film. He’s convinced that his home is haunted, and the spirit may be the cause. When the two meet, the direction almost turns into a theatrical production that may be better off on a stage — especially with the use of the mise-en-scène framing technique during the spirit summoning sequences—than film to really get the ambiance across.

Even with the celluloid format, where this movie goes is interesting from a literary point of view. This film’s slow pacing and its character driven study may not be for everyone. On screen, the cast playing the Morris family is relatively new and how they emote in certain segments of the film shows. Some moments of the movie are better than others, and when they’re playing ghosts, the weary responses they give is most likely intentional.

As a tired medium, Brandon knows the pitfalls and the dangers of what a séance can bring. He is a lot more interesting to watch and he adds some interesting moments to the narrative. But like in the Exorcist, not even he can placate the unsettling truths that are revealed. There is a quiet beast to be found with this movie, and just who that is is best left unsaid.

As a book, the reveal can be as chilling as Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw. In theatre, the dark reveal can be played out by the most seasoned of performers with dramatic conviction. But as a film, it just needs more finessing before the darkness of one particular individual’s soul can truly be appreciated.

Overall: 6 out of 10.

*this title has recently been released on video-on-demand.

Tied in Blood's Official Website is here:

The Tied in Blood Official Website

The film's fan page:

Tied in Blood's Facebook page

Here is a listing of the video-on-demand formats available for Tied in Blood:

Tied in Blood's Facebook page

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