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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
Taking over the family business is never easy, especially when that business is serial killing. Bloody Axe Wound follows Abbie Bladecut (Sari Arambulo), the daughter of infamous serial killer Roger Bladecut (Billy Burke), as she begins her journey to take over their serial killing business. To do so, she goes undercover at the local high school to stalk her target, Sam (Molly Brown). Yet, she soon finds herself falling in love with Sam, putting her at odds with her father’s wishes.
Bloody Axe Wound is written and directed by Matthew John Lawrence. It stars Sari Arambulo (A.P. Bio), Molly Brown (Dexter Original Sin), Eddie Leavy (A.P. Bio), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), Billy Burke (Twilight, Fire Country).
Poor Worldbuilding
Lawrence’s premise is the biggest thing holding me back from truly enjoying Bloody Axe Wound. Now, the idea of a daughter trying to take over her father’s family business of being a serial killer is not a bad one. However, this film introduces a couple of wrinkles that make it weird. First, Roger Bladecut (Burke) is somehow filming all these horrific murders he commits. There is no explanation of how or who does this filming to make it so cinematic. Second, these “films” are sold at the video rental store he owns and were quite popular at one point. On the one hand, everyone in town seems to enjoy watching these films despite the fact that these films feature their friends and family members being brutally killed. At the same time, though, everyone in town is terrified of being killed by the serial killer.
I’m sure you can see wherein lies my issue. This just isn’t a fully thought-out world. The whole thing would work so much better if the business was just killing people. The filmmaking aspect of it is just a hat on a hat. I think there’s supposed to be some sort of commentary on the filmmaking industry and the concept of horror movies in general, but the film is not interested in exploring them at all. It’s just presented simply as something that happens in this world. To add, no effort is made to interrogate that premise. It just creates an unnecessary wrinkle that hampers my enjoyment of the film. Where it does function better is as a coming-of-age film.
Coming of Rage
Bloody Axe Wound is at its best when it focuses on Abbie’s coming-of-age journey. This works in large part to Arambulo’s performance. She doesn’t feel over the top or too cinematic. It’s a much more natural performance. She does get to play big emotions when she’s doing the slashing part. Yet, she is way more enjoyable to watch when she’s stumbling through high school or being awkward opposite her crush, Sam.
Essentially, the relationship between Sam and Abbie is the film’s core. Thankfully, it’s all fun to watch. Sure, it can lean a bit generic and formulaic, but at the end of the day, it’s both a slasher horror and a coming-of-age film. It just so happens that both of those genres are nothing if not formulaic. I don’t love Brown’s performance as Sam, but she is serviceable. Of course, a queer relationship is always welcome on screen, especially in a time when it feels like these relationships and people are under more scrutiny than ever.
The rest of the high school cast is pretty unremarkable. They don’t get much to do and unfortunately feel more like set dressing than characters. The one exception is Eddie Leavy as Glenn, Abbie’s one friend before she starts school. Leavy and Arambulo have previously worked together on the underrated sitcom, A.P. Bio. It’s nice to see them work together again and have good chemistry. Leavy also gets a few of the film’s funnier moments.
Not Quite Genre Defying
Instead of going for some sort of social commentary like most good horror or slasher films, the coming-of-age elements take up that slot. Again, these lead to mixed results overall. It does keep the film from feeling like a million other slasher flicks, but the execution just isn’t there. It’s a shame because, with a tighter script and clearer focus, this could have been something truly special. It echoes Zelda William and Diablo Cody’s Lisa Frankenstein with its mix of genres and attempt to expand the definition of horror. However, just like Lisa Frankenstein, the filmmaker doesn’t seem to be making big swings. It’s almost as if Lawrence is afraid to really try and break genre conventions and just play it safe. Consequently, this leaves viewers with a mess, an interesting mess, but a mess nonetheless.
Additional Thoughts on Bloody Axe Wound
Unfortunately, despite trying its hardest, Bloody Axe Wound is just not funny. Almost none of the comedy lands and becomes a chore to watch. Much of it comes across as the same unfunny jokes everyone makes about slashers. With that said, there is a fun Texas Chainsaw Massacre bit that did get a laugh out of me.
Another issue that holds the film back is musical composers Evan Garcia-Renart and Miles Taylour-Sweeney’s soundtrack. All the music used is just incredibly generic. Either typical horror or bland rock music is used. It just makes everything feel like it’s going through the motions rather than elevating the emotion of any given scene.
And finally, I want to be clear here: if you’re coming to this movie because you like actor/ producer Jeffrey Dean Morgan and want to see more of him, then this isn’t the film for you. He has a very brief cameo, and that’s about it.
The Verdict on Bloody Axe Wound
Despite its solid ideas and big swings to mix up slasher and coming-of-age genres, Bloody Axe Wound lacks the execution to be compelling as either one. Instead, it’s a weird mixed bag that never comes together, but a solid performance from Sari Arambulo keeps it from being an entirely lost cause.
Score: 2/5
Bloody Axe Wound streams via Shudder starting next Friday, March 21st!
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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
