Rated: Not Rated | Running Time: 94 Minutes
From: Dark Sky Films
In Theaters and on Digital: August 21, 2026
Official Trailer: YouTube
So, we have this poor farmer who isn’t having a good day, and then he stumbles upon Clara (Emily Bennett). We quickly find that Clara isn’t the good girl he might think she is, and our poor farmer’s day well, ends up even worse. Damn sun tea.
Enter Brighton (David Call).
He makes horror films and is trying to finish his screenplay. It’s a lot of pressure, with being a big-shot, horror filmmaker and all. He has no inspiration to write, and he’s also angry at his life a bit. What to do? Head up to some isolation to try to wrap things up.
But the initial isolation isn’t good enough, and a wonderful bartender sends him to even more isolation.
Then wouldn’t you know it, he finds Clara.
Yea, Brighton’s fictitious horror world is about to become real life, especially with a simple line from Clara, “What kind of monster would I be if I did that?” and well, some sun tea.
As it turns out, Clara is this, hmm, overly spiritual woman who is part of this sadistic cult and kidnaps Brighton. Why? In Clara’s wackadoo world, she believes, with the guidance of videotapes of the Leader (Larry Fessenden), that she can save Brighton, maybe even turn him into a God.
Ahh, we have Clara trying to mess with the mind of Brighton, but at the same time we have Brighton trying to get into the mind of Clara.
Who will win?
Then things get really dark as we see Clara’s past come back to haunt her, and Brighton learn that, well, if one person in the town is in a cult, there will probably be others.
Finally, in a touching scene, and I mean “touching” scene with Clara and Brighton, the explanation of “light” comes, and when the word “deeper” is said, some really messed up, sadistic stuff comes about, including an ending that I didn’t see coming. Thinking back, the ending shouldn’t have been a surprise, but alas, I was still thinking about “deeper.”
“Blood Shine” is a twisted tale that might make you think a little bit of the movie “Psycho,” but oh, no, while you have a writer and a sadistic woman, this movie takes those two things to the next level. Emily Bennett is wonderful as the sweet, gentle woman gone wrong, always ready with a glass of sun tea, and David Call takes the asshole screenwriter to a level even I didn’t think be achieved.
The movie didn’t have too many surprises, but does a great job of putting you through the paces of a sadistic, religious cult. You will flinch, there is a little shock towards the end, and all I know is that when I get writer’s block, I’ll think twice about trying to find some isolated spot in the woods to get inspiration. And I definitely won’t be drinking any sun tea.
It’s 4 stars out of 5 for “Blood Shine.” In the horror, suspense, gross-you-out realm, it does a great job!
That’s it for this one! I’m Andy! L8R!!
