My Review Of "Bloody Marie"

Dutch film "Bloody Marie" is directed by Lennert Hillege and Guido van Driel. It stars Susanne Wolff, Dragos Bucur, Alexia Lestiboudois, Jan Bijvoet, and Therese Affolter. The film plays out as a dark drama with intense psychological factors.

Marie, once successful graphic novelist, lives in the Amsterdam red-light district. She drinks too much and gets into one conflict after another. A horrific incident in the house next door forces her to take action and get her life back on course.

The film is a blunt character study of a self-destructive life. It is told in a leveled, straightforward way, allowing for the actors and the heart of the story to lay bare, exposed to criticism, and darker emotional investment. "Bloody Marie" is the equivalent of watching a tragedy unfold from a time before impact, during the event, and right on until the debris is swept away. All while bathed in a neon glow. 

The story is filled with conflict. Told with so much slow-paced focus on emotions that are uncomfortable to see expressed by characters, while overlaying a sentiment of compassion and relatability. You either recognize and connect with protagonist or you don't. I recognized myself in Marie's persona from the first spastic movements on an empty dancefloor while the daylight leaked in the bar. 

The acting is superb. The characters are seedy, tragic and defiant. It is hard to find something likable about these people. You fill mostly sad for the kind of characters they offer. The beauty in that is that Hillege and Driel aren't asking you to, or even apologizing if you don't. It is what it is. This is a dark story of a life spiraling hard and terrifyingly so. 

"Bloody Marie" is more thriller movie in its second half. The horror lies in watching a series of horrific choices and bad events push the main character into the next horrific situation. It gets tense and dark. The cinematography is excellent, and the music score and atmosphere really amplify the story. 

This isn't a film for anyone looking for extreme expressions of violence or blood. It stays more dramatic and psychological. The thriller elements and action movie with a similar pace and energy that the film starts with. The suspense builds some but nothing comparable to standard horror or traditional thrills. It is a well crafted art film that is dark and human. (3.5/5)