Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Thought-provoking but slow "vampire" movie from Spike Lee.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus
What's the Story?
Soon after Hess Green (Stephen Tyrone Williams), a wealthy art collector, acquires an ancient Ashanti dagger that may have once been involved in blood rituals that helped bring down a powerful African culture, he's drawn to create his own blood ceremonies. In short order, he's killing people, drinking their blood, and proclaiming himself a blood "addict," though director Spike Lee has frequently said that Hess isn't actually a vampire. Hess shares his habit with Ganja (Zaraah Abrahams), the former wife of his first victim, who also starts to enjoy sipping fresh blood, and the couple sets out to make sure they have an adequate supply.
Is It Any Good?
DA SWEET BLOOD OF JESUS (a remake of the 1970s movie Ganja & Hess) isn't a horror movie -- not really -- though there are some graphic and disturbing killings. Nor is it a vampire movie, though plenty of blood gets drunk. It's more a commentary on addiction, status, consumerism, and race. Apropos for a Spike Lee production, it's highly stylized, with indelibly beautiful (if sometimes hard to watch) images, some of which don't even try to explain the parts of the story that are unexplainable (and there are many).
It's muddled and moody, but it's also definitely thought provoking. What is Lee trying to say by combining class and addiction? There's plenty of vision and creativity, but in the end, this film feels more like an experiment that almost works.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the relationship between sex and violence in Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. How are they entwined? What message does that send to viewers?
Director Spike Lee has said the characters in this film aren't real vampires. So why does Hess start drinking blood, and how does his "addiction" to blood compare to the cravings seen in other movies that do have vampires? What are some other similarities and differences?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 13, 2015
- On DVD or streaming : May 26, 2015
- Cast : Rami Malek , Stephen Tyrone Williams , Zaraah Abrahams
- Director : Spike Lee
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Director(s) , African American Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 123 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 27, 2021
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