Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, animal cruelty in terrible vampire horror tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Blood Line
What's the Story?
In BLOOD LINE, it has been 18 months since an accident led to Malek being in a coma, and his parents Nader (Dhafer L'Abidine) and Lamia (Nilli Karim) are desperate to get their son back. So desperate, in fact, that Nader travels to Romania to get a vial of blood that he believes will give them back their son so he can be a part of the family again and play with his twin brother Adam. But Nader knows that when he gives Malek the blood, he'll come out of the coma, but he won't be the same as he was before. Indeed, when given the blood, Malek returns to consciousness, but he has a constant need for blood, and Nader and Lamia go to disturbing lengths in which to retrieve the blood for him. Meanwhile, Malek is growing stronger and faster, and Adam is starting to also behave differently. With too much natural light in their home and too many violent changes happening too fast, Nader and Lamia plot to move the family to their house in the country before it's too late.
Is It Any Good?
This pretentious vampire movie from Egypt is not worth your time. Blood Line is filled with empty spaces and silences contrasted with the requisite "here comes the human, only with fangs and hissing now" jump scares punctuated with "eerie" two-note piano horror background music. The story itself, while accessible enough, starts off on some shaky premises, and then it doesn't even really work with what little it has in terms of its own story logic.
Everything comes across as a little too forced, and even at times gratuitous and wrong, such as scenes in which a neighbor's pet cat is stolen and presented for the brunch blood feast, to say nothing of the rabbits and pigeons also sent to be slaughtered before burial in the backyard. The ending, such as it is, suggests the theme of the lengths some parents will go to care and provide for their kids, but the sheer silliness of the conceit and how it's presented brings on unintended laughter.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about vampire horror movies like Blood Line. How is this similar to and different from other movies centered on vampires or people who become vampires?
What does it mean when a movie is called "pretentious?" Is this a pretentious movie? Why or why not?
Were the scenes of animal cruelty necessary to the story, or did they seem like a desperate attempt at "shock value?" Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : January 12, 2023
- Cast : Dhafer L'Abidine , Nilli Karim , Pieter Ramy
- Director : Rami Yasin
- Inclusion Information : Middle Eastern/North African Movie Director(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : January 24, 2023
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