Review: Bliss [-FILM-]

Bliss…

Director: Joe Begos
Writer: Joe Begos
Stars: Dora Madison, Tru Collins, Rhys Wakefield

Review

Bliss is a neon lit, scuzzy, hardcore vampire film that at its core is really about being creative and the creative process, filtered through an angry ‘fuck you’ vibe.

Dezzy is an artist that through apathy, anxiety and a big creative block, is behind on a commissioned painting, behind on her rent and all out of cash. Dezzy decides that the best to deal with life’s problems is to get fucked up and she does so by taking the new drug bliss. After this hedonistic bender she becomes chemically inspired and begins to paint, but she needs more and then there is that gnawing, unquenchable lust for blood…

Begos throws us headfirst into Dezzy’s bad trip. The visuals are fantastic, simple and perfectly fit in with style of the film. Giving us all the nightmarish visuals until Dezzy’s blood lust roars to the fore and then things get completely insane, with a hell of a lot of blood and brutal, brutal kills. It is a complete cacophony of mayhem, and it is glorious. Playing with Vampire lore, Bliss itself becomes a new take on the vampiric world, in the same way that Martin brought the vampire lore into the real world, Bliss takes it the other way into a surrealist nightmare.

Dora Madison is like a caustic force of nature as Dezzy. Angry, messy but completely talented, she flints off the other characters and I don’t think that she is off screen at any stage of the film. It is a strong and fearless performance that the film swings off. The other actors Tru Collins, Rhys Wakefield and Graham Skipper all hit their roles on the head.

Bliss is bananas. A gory, head trip through dive bars and the hidden culture of Los Angeles, a practical effects driven nightmare that is exciting to watch. The film feels really personal and perhaps Begos is getting his feelings and frustrations out about the creative process and how you keep chasing that muse to keep the creative juices flowing.

Bliss opens September 27 in cinemas and on VOD

Ryan Morrissey-Smith | Twitter: @TigersMS78
Images: Dark Sky Films