Blu-ray Review: The Bloodhound (2020)

Estranged college chums Francis (Liam Aiken) and Jean Paul (Joe Adler) re-unite as ol’ JP has some sort of malady and could use a helping hand or two, and Francis is down on his luck and needs a place to stay.
Also in the abode is JP’s twin sis, Vivian (Annalise Basso), whom Francis has a past with… but JP tells Francis to stay away from her as she’s become violently unhinged… but as is the way, the two do meet, and Viv has a doomsayer bag to lay all upon our hero involving her brother.
Also in the mix is the eponymous Bloodhound, a crawling, faceless figure springing forth from JP’s nightmares that exists only to destroy the occupants of whatever house he decides to grace with his unholy presence… so Francis is in for one hell of a visit, that’s for damn sure…
The Bloodhound, a slow-burn, loosey-goosey interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, comes courtesy of writer/director Patrick Picard, and my lord is it a psychotronic, atmospheric masterpiece!
Eschewing the traditional Gothic mansion for a more ‘30s-era modern-futurist style dwelling (the film’s only location story-wise by the by… and a true character in the tale in it’s own right), this film is nevertheless filled with plenty of creeping dread, both from it’s off-kilter design and color choices, but also from it’s lord and master.
Adler’s JP is at times dreamy and playful, but can deliver cold intensity more often than not… but either way he’s deranged as fuck and at times the performance has a near-Vincent Price style of grandeur and madness. It’s some choice stuff cats n’ creeps, believe you me!
Playing against that is Aiken’s portrayal of Francis who floats through the fever dream proceedings as if in a stupor… though one he wants to be roused from. It’s a quiet dichotomy that makes these two cats so much fun to lay eerie eyeballs upon ans see interact… good thing too, as this is basically a two-man show for 99% of it’s runtime.
Speaking of runtime, The Bloodhound is a rather slow-burn affair as stated previously, but with it’s seventy-two minute length it never overstays it’s welcome and paces out that suspense just right!
Along with all of the ghoulish goodness listed up yonder, the fine fiends at Arrow Video (along with MVD Entertainment) have included a few beastly bonuses as well including: an audio commentary featuring Picard and editor David Scorca that discusses the picture from conception to finished film, a forty-five minute documentary concerning the film’s production (featuring interviews with cast and crew), and a selection of short films from Picard.
Odd, outré, and absolutely unforgettable, The Bloodhound is a “must see” for lovers of off-kilter, surreal horror!