A dancer, traumatised at an early age by the brutal murder of her parents, scores her biggest role yet in the lead of The Nutcracker. But just when Adrianna (Kendra Carelli) finally feels like her life is back on track, sinister and evil visions begin to plague her as fellow ballerinas start to fall one by one in the same fashion as her parents did long ago.
From the plot synopsis alone, it is clear that director and co-writer Brett Mullen (Bombshell Bloodbath) was aiming for his own take on a Giallo film and, for the most part, he successfully accomplishes that. A lot of the film is bathed in the beautiful glow of neon purples and reds as our protagonist begins to lose her grip on reality, and the electric score epitomises 80s slashers which is enhanced by the film’s high quality visual cues and special effects.
The story follows Adrianna – a troubled ballerina who, after receiving good but stressful news of being the lead in her upcoming performance, has horrific and upsetting visions resurface from when she was younger. Her psychiatrist Dr Carlina Cassinelli (Debbie Rochon) is crucial to Adrianna’s attempt to overpower these bad memories, but soon becomes entangled in our heroine’s own personal hell. Kendra Carelli’s central performance is fantastic. She successfully comes across as a well fleshed out character and, when Adrianna is slowly breaking down, Carelli flourishes with antagonising screams and cries for help.
Director Brett Mullen is also responsible for Bloody Ballet’s impressive cinematography. Many of the locations feels like a character of their own. From the abandoned insane asylum to the dance theatre, Mullen took what he could use and made the most of it. As previously stated, it’s clear that Mullen drew inspiration from Dario Argento’s classic Suspiria and, more recently, Nicolas Winding Refn’s spellbinding The Neon Demon with his attention to creating an otherworldly feel through use of colours and filters. An admirable homage to some of his true influences.
The accompanying score co-produced by Matt Hill and NightStop adds extra layers onto the world built by Mullen. It encapsulates the retro feel whilst also administering genuine chills. The 80s is certainly a popular time period for a modern independent horror setting, with most being used to enormous success. When it comes to the kills, the FX team utilise raw practical effects to devastating effect. As the victims of the killer are brutally murdered, their eyes being forcefully removed from their sockets with a rusty shaving knife, the audience is treated to a flurry of bloody effects which will leave some squeamish but ultimately achieve the goal of conveying the brutality of the antagonist.
However, with all of the major positives for the low budget Giallo-inspired bloodfest, it is still far from perfect. As the story progresses, more and more layers are added (with one key inclusion being that of a major subplot concerning a paranormal investigator) and this unfortunately creates an overloaded feel to the pacing of the film. Although it is well woven into the final act, this subplot could have been used to better effect or completely removed altogether, as it draws the viewer out of the brilliant lead performance and central plot points.
As far as low budget horrors go, Bloody Ballet is one of the better films on the market. A wonderfully twisted blend of stunning visuals and terrific performances, it also serves as a great showcase of Brett Mullen’s ability as a director, making him one to watch for the future.
BLOODY BALLET (AKA FANTASMA) / CERT: UNRATED / DIRECTOR: BRETT MULLEN / SCREENPLAY: MATT CLOUDE, BRETT MULLEN / STARRING: CAROLINE WILLIAMS, KATIE CARPENTER, DEBBIE ROCHON / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
