'Bleeding' Review: A Meaningful, Bleak Yet Mesmerising Horror
- Becca Johnson
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
By Becca Johnson - June 9, 2025
A directorial feature debut from Andrew Bell, Bleeding is a new horror-drama-thriller hitting VOD platforms on the 10th June. Using its horror aspect as a metaphor for addiction, Bleeding is a bleak yet impressive watch helmed by two excellent lead performances.
What is 'Bleeding' About?
Starring John R. Howley and Jasper Jones in the leading roles, Bleeding is set in a world where vampires blood is harvested as a drug. Jones and Howley play two desperate teenagers on the run from a vicious dealer, who break into an empty house and find a sleeping girl locked inside.
Bleeding is certainly not the first horror movie to become a metaphor for addiction, and not even the first vampire movie to do so, but that isn’t to say it doesn’t work. It gives a bleak and harrowing look into the opioid crisis through an even darker lens, focusing on its effect on the working class. It shows just how easy it is to fall into addiction, how it changes the mind and body, and how hard it is to overcome. It does all of the above through a sinister approach; it may not be the scariest or goriest vampire flick out there, but it certainly feels like one of the most believable due to its basis in reality.
The horror is delivered through an unsettling atmosphere, bleak tone and the physicality from our actors as the vampirism affects their bodies in gnarly ways. Truly having something to say and hitting the nail on the head with its metaphors and narrative, Bleeding, for some, may be as relatable and thought-provoking as it is scary. And it’s stories like that that manage to stick with you.
Selling this story are the performances from our cast, namely our two leads Howley and Jones. The pair play cousins who end up on a dark journey together, as one gets in serious trouble when a dangerous dealer is on his tail. The script pays attention to developing their bond and opposing characteristics as well as it does the story, showing the love between the pair despite their differences. Both have hard lives be it in different ways, and largely only have each other. This not only increasing the stakes but allows them to show heavy emotion, which they nail. Howley and Jones are super believable and likable, which is even more impressive given their minimal experience. They’re two young talents to keep an eye on. Tori Wong is also notable as the young girl the pair come across when attempting to hide in an empty house. Though she is familiar to them, she may not be all she seems, and Wong is excellent at approaching every aspect of her character. This young cast are great, and give this challenging script their all.
The filmmaking on display is mostly strong, with some believable body horror and simple yet effective locations. These simplistic locations only work to make the film feel more real, as our characters are thrown into deep despair and trauma right in the comfort of their hometown. The cinematography and score add to the bleak, uneasy tone created by the story, ensuring Bleeding becomes a watch that’s equal parts engaging and unsettling. The script meanders at times which makes things feel a little weaker, and the great ideas at play can feel underdeveloped.
The run-time is snappy at just 1 hour 38 minutes, which undeniably suits the slower pace of the movie, but some deeper world-building and a more thorough look into blood harvesting would make the story feel more fleshed out. The crime element is perhaps the weakest part, with Bleeding feeling much stronger when it’s at its simplest - exploring trauma, addiction and the bond between brothers. The story may not get everything right, but the filmmaking is impressive and the narrative gives plenty to chew on regardless.
Is 'Bleeding' Worth Watching?
Bleeding is a must-watch for fans of dark thrillers that incorporate a little horror. Boasting excellent character development, great lead performances and a sense of realism that makes this fantastical idea seem all too likely, it’s a watch that has the capacity to stick with audiences long after viewing. There may be some underdevelopment within the plot and one too many strings being pulled, but when cut down to its bare bones, Bleeding is a meaningful, bleak yet mesmerising horror that’ll appeal to many.
'Bleeding' premieres on Screambox June 10
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