Calling all fans of Poe! Writer-director Patrick Picard brought to life the spirit of one of Poe’s most famous tales, “The Fall of the House of Usher” in the form of his debut film The Bloodhound. Though a stylistic success, The Bloodhound lacked the emotional “oomph” I was hoping for. But despite the story’s shortcomings, stellar performances took place in a haunting atmosphere.

Down on his luck, Francis (Liam Aiken), is invited to spend some time with his wealthy estranged friend JP (Joe Adler). JP wishes to reconnect with his long lost friend to receive some emotional support and companionship as he deals with his sister’s declining health and his own personal ailments. As soon as the friends reunite, an air of uneasiness sets in and never ceases, leading to an almost intolerable amount of tension. 

The style, aesthetic, and setting of The Bloodhound was hands down its strongest feature. To quote “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “With the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit”. The home itself felt cold, uninviting, and (in line with JP’s statement) “is like a dream for better or for worse”. The home exuded no warmth and felt menacing, which only added to the conflict unfolding around the characters. Uninviting modern furniture, inexplicable flashes of red light, closed-off body language, and veiled threats in conversation all suggest this is a place devoid of compassion and connection. 

The Bloodhound is a slow burn, emphasis on slow. While it was enchanting to watch JP (Adler) passively (yet aggressively) exercise emotional control over Francis (Aiken), the story was not as compelling as it could have been. There’s not much character development to speak of, which left me feeling unaffected by the story’s disappointing end. However, this may be more a result of the source material used for inspiration (“House of Usher”) and less a result of the story itself. The sequences using ‘The Bloodhound‘ felt underutilized and it is not abundantly clear if this mysterious being is a metaphor for the film’s broader themes regarding depression, mental illness, and family a la “House of Usher”, but the concept felt half baked and (without more representation in the film) I don’t personally feel it added anything to the story. 

Joe Adler is stunning as JP. He’s menacing, sickly, and controlling in an unexpectedly diffident way. His performance was quite diversified and done in such a way that makes you wonder when this film is actually supposed to take place. There is nothing modern about the home or Adler’s performance, very creepy and very classic.  Liam Aiken also deserves recognition for his performance as long lost friend Francis. Aiken balances kindness and self-interest all at once, giving his character a duality that is exciting to watch on screen.

The Bloodhound definitely captures the spirit of Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher”. The pangs of loneliness, emotional instability, and descent into insanity dominate the screen. Despite the strong thematic nod to the source material, The Bloodhound lacked the punch I would have liked to see in a film of such emotional intensity. That being said, this is quite the stylistic debut from writer-director Patrick Picard. I very much look forward to more of his cinematic stylings in the future and hope for the inclusion of a meatier plot and characters audiences can feel more connected to. Despite any gripes I may have, fans of Poe and aficionados of the slow burn chiller will find a home in The Bloodhound, which is now available on Arrow Video’s streaming platform as part of their December release lineup for North America. 

6 out of 10