‘Painted in Blood’ DVD Review
Stars: Deiondre Teagle, Deborah Seidel, Brad Belemjian, Zach Lazar Hoffman, Allison Shrum, Alice Raver, David Ditmore, Dylan A. Young | Written and Directed by Aaron Mirtes
[NOTE: With the film finally getting a UK release, here’s a reposting of my review of Painted in Blood from its US VOD debut]
Director Aaron Mirtes has been slowly plying his trade in the horror genre, making five feature films between 2017 and 2020 one of which, 2019’s American Hunt, was one of the best genre films released that year. Now Mirtes is back with his latest, Painted in Blood and, I’ll be frank, the press materials put me on the wrong foot from the get-go. You see Mirtes has plied his trade on numerous films, most of which you’d consider decent genre fare. From the highs of the aforementioned American Hunt and sci-fi thriller The Alpha Test to more derivative fare like Clowntergeist and Curse of the Nun, Mirtes has crafted a solid resume.
But now he apparently wants to turn his back on more exploitative fare like 2020s Ouija Craft and apparently “decided to tackle the elevated horror genre, in hopes to continue to tell genre films that are more than solely clichés”. Which is one hell of a way to sh*t on the previous films on your resume! The term elevated horror is also a term that gets more derision in the horror community than praise – horror fans who, myself included, don’t think the genre needs elevating. For me I always think it’s only people that DON’T get the genre and what stories horror films can tell: the metaphors, the social, racial and political commentary and more; that use the term “elevated horror.” People that use the term elevated horror look down on the genre and don’t celebrate like fans do, as if it’s still synonymous with the sleaze of 42nd Street and the video nasties. That can be the case but horror is much more diverse now than it’s ever been and we don’t need filmmakers to “save” it by making what they think are “elevated” examples of the genre!
That rant out of the way, let’s get to the actual review…
So, Painted in Blood. As the title suggests the film deals with horror in the art world and tells the story of Malik, an aspiring artist, who loses his job after turning up late for work the umpteenth time. In an act of desperation, in need of money, he takes a job as a security guard at an art museum – only this art museum holds a secret… The figure inside one of the paintings begins speaking to Malik and walking around the museum at night!
As I said in my opening rant, horror films can often be used as metaphors or commentary on other things and Painted in Blood is no different, showing us the sacrifices artists make for their art, how their passion can overtake their lives, how the pursuit of art can lead to madness (Van Gogh anyone?). All wrapped up in the trappings of horror. And by trappings of horror, I mean Malik hears a painting talking to him, often goading him into being a better artist; with Mailk (as artists tend to do in horror films) using blood in his artwork – both his own and his victims.
But that’s all there is to Painted in Blood… Outside of attempting some overly dramatic visuals, trying to make the film seem more “elevated” than it actually is through the cinematography this is a bog-standard art-driven horror, something we’ve seen done before both in features and in television anthologies and done better; or at least less dour and mundane. Me? I’d rather watch the cult-classic, and similarly titled, Bucket of Blood!
Painted in Blood is released on DVD in the UK on October 3rd, courtesy of High Fliers.
