Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Blood Relatives’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture ‘Blood Relatives’.
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There are few things in this life that society cherishes more… than family. For it is… the foundation of the modern world, where powerful lessons are taught to children. The kind that will allow for them to learn how to take on the world and make it the utopia so many generations have failed to create. Not to mention, it creates healthy bonds that give everyone in the household meaning and direction and a sense of belonging. Yes indeed, family truly is something quite special, and something that is genuinely unique about the human experience, and we cherish it so greatly, that we often forget to discuss the fact that it isn’t always a rosy and peachy experience. 

Because what we often forget about family, is that it means that vastly different personalities with vastly different needs and wants are living under one roof. Which leads to conflict and tears when those conflicts get ugly. Not to mention, we also tend to forget that not everyone wants a family. Since some walk away and leave their family behind and/or do whatever they must to not have one. But above all, what we truly don’t think about or discuss enough, is that family is work, and we have to put in what we want to get out if we truly want it to be that recreation of Norman Rockwell’s work. If anything, those struggles are top of mind today, simply because they are explored in the most unique manner imaginable in the new Shudder feature, Blood Relatives.

Which is a story that introduces us to a man named Francis. Who is a drifter, and lumbers from obscure town to obscure town, with no real goal or purpose in mind an understandably so. For Francis is in fact, a vampire and wants no ties to a world that he isn’t part of and traversing the world and staying out of anyone’s memories helps him to enjoy that isolation and feed when the time is right. But there is secret about Francis’ life that even he is unaware of. In that, somewhere along the line, he managed to father a daughter during his travels, and with her mother now gone, Jane very much wants to learn about her family lineage and spend time with the dad that never wanted a family and well… her arrival in his life is going to change everything for Francis. Since he will now have to adjust to life as a father.

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Which is a plot… that perfectly explores the tougher side to family life. Since Francis is that guy. The one that just wants to be alone and see the world without any ties to anyone or anything. Granted, it is for solid and understandable reasons, but there are a lot of guys like that out in the world… who also happen to father a child in the same manner. Giving rise to struggles when they understand the reality and responsibility of fatherhood and this movie perfectly captures those struggles. For instance, Jane has raw questions to ask her father about why he walked away and who she is what she is and vampire elements aside, those are absolutely the questions a child would ask their father in a similar scenario. Making this a delightfully realistic and meaningful film. Especially when Francis comes to understand that he is all that she has and steps up accordingly. 

However, while all of that makes this movie sound more like it belongs on Lifetime than Shudder, don’t forget… Francis and Jane are vampires. And this is a horror comedy. One that makes sure to remind us of that fact through wonderfully awkward moments that bring forth delicious humor and gags that outright make you laugh out loud and of course… there’s spooky stuff to be found as well. Courtesy of the hunger that this duo harbors and their need to satiate it leads to some supremely slick vampire moments. The kind that catches you off guard with the sudden nature of said hunger, and for the most part… this movie also relies heavily on the power of imagination for some of its darkest scenes, adding a real classic vampire feel to a motion picture that is quite frankly, one of the freshest takes on the vampire story in years. 

Because you so rarely see vampire stories revolve around concepts of family. Not to mention, the other reasons Francis wants to be alone adds stunning depth to his character. All of which makes this a must-watch for certain. Because it’s so rare to see a vampire story have so much to say about family and its binds and the work that goes into creating a healthy one. But that’s precisely what this movie accomplishes, and it doesn’t hurt that actor/writer/director Noah Segan is simply sublime as Francis, courtesy of the subtle approach he brings to the role, and he is wonderfully counterbalanced by Victoria Moroles’ electric portrayal of Jane and well, hopefully this movie inspires a new beginning for the vampire subgenre of storytelling. Since this magnificent film makes it clear that vampire stories can be quite human and relatable, with a little effort and a lot of love.

‘Blood Relatives’ is streaming now on Shudder.

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