Books of Blood, 2020.
Directed by Brannon Braga.
Starring Britt Robertson, Rafi Gavron, Freda Foh Sheen, Nicholas Campbell, Kenji Fitzgerald, Paige Turco, Saad Siddiqui, Anna Friel and Brett Rickaby.
SYNOPSIS:
Based on Clive Barker’s acclaimed and influential horror anthology Books of Blood, this feature takes audiences on a journey into uncharted and forbidden territory through three uncanny tales tangled in space and time.
Credit where credit is due, Hulu seemed especially prepared for a “Spooktober” in which movie theaters are shuttered and some studio horror movies are delayed. In the lead up to Halloween, the streaming service not only added such seasonal treats to its library as House of 1000 Corpses, Blade, and Interview with the Vampire, but it is also debuting a handful of chill-inducing originals, including Brannon Braga’s Books of Blood.
The anthology film is based on the game-changing horror novels that solidified author Clive Barker’s voice in the genre over three decades ago. Released in the mid-80s, the short story collections reveled in a variety of horrifying subjects, from the everyday malice of seemingly ordinary circumstances to fantastical, sardonic terror, and have since found new audiences on the big screen. In fact, at least one story from each of the six volumes in Barker’s collection has been adapted into a feature film (perhaps the most notable of which being 1992’s Candyman).
While most previous cinematic adaptations of Books of Blood have stretched a single short story into a feature-length film, Hulu’s latest takes a different approach, weaving together three distinctly different tales into one 108-minute exercise.
While Hulu’s Books of Blood is nothing short of entertaining, the anthology film, by and large, reduces Barker’s literary gems to familiar, even toothless, works of overproduced horror. Solid performances from Britt Robertson and Rafi Gavron aside, Books of Blood has some of the makings of good horror — deranged surprises, morally complicated characters, gruesome body horror, — but it hardly manages to elevate itself above its made-for-TV texture.
Books of Blood was originally developed as an anthology series at Hulu, and those markings seem to be written all over the project. While on one hand, the film feels like three standalone anthology episodes ham-fisted together, on the other, none of the three stories contain even the bite-sized depth and substance that one would expect from an episode of, say, Black Mirror (or, to keep things in the Hulu family, Monsterland). Segments waver between either spending too much time explaining unnecessary plot contrivances or too little time building the actual horror at the core of its existence.
The first segment of the three, which focuses on Britt Robertson’s Jenna, a mentally troubled college dropout who is suffering from a traumatic incident, is far and away the best. Even though the segment’s tension doesn’t let itself simmer for as long as one would hope, the mystery is undeniably intriguing and Robertson is a compelling lead to guide us through it. In a certain sense, the segment’s relative straightforwardness allows the viewer to throw on a detective hat of their own and try to stitch the mystery together before the film spills the beans. The answers come a little too quickly after the segment starts posing its questions, but there’s still a stretch, where malice begins to reveal itself, that is particularly enjoyable.
The other two segments are more direct adaptations of Barker’s work, particularly “The Book of Blood” and “On Jerusalem Street” from volumes one and six of the original books, respectively. While both segments have a difficult time sitting long enough to create a sense of atmosphere, or even a mythology worthy of its source material, there are still a handful of effective images, particularly in one sequence which utilizes some impressive body makeup and visual effects.
On the large, the film’s most egregious sin is that it feels too polished; it’s unable to lay in the dirtiness or gore that a proper adaptation of Barker’s original books is clearly demanding. Unfortunately, Books of Blood is more interested in checking the boxes of what a horror film should be, instead of creating a genuine sense of terror.
Admittedly, to the film’s credit, there is something about it that feels undeniably appropriate for fall viewing; it doesn’t buck conventions, or scare you out of your wits, but it’s extremely comfortable, cheap viewing. Even if it turns out to be one of the less successful entries in Hulu’s fall line-up, with tempered expectations, there’s still enough appeal here for curious Books of Blood die-hards or general genre fans. Books of Blood could serve as a familiar appetizer before you transition into watching more ‘main course’ horror as Halloween draws nearer.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★/ Movie: ★ ★ ★
Justin Cook
