Oscar-nominated documentarian Pedro Kos (Rebel Hearts, Lead Me Home) approaches his narrative feature debut, In Our Blood, like a documentary. It’s even woven into the core fabric of the narrative, using the framework of filmmakers setting out to make a documentary to explore vulnerable communities through horror. While that ultimately means falling into the trappings of found footage-styled horror, Kos effectively gives a fresh update on a well-worn corner of the genre.
Filmmaker Emily Wyland (Brittany O’Grady) decides to make a documentary about her estranged mother, Sam (Alanna Ubach), when reuniting after ten years apart due to addiction. Emily enlists cinematographer Danny (E. J. Bonilla) to capture her intimate story, but the documentary’s purpose changes when Sam suddenly goes missing. In their search to find Sam and determine whether a relapse is to blame, Emily and Danny – with the help of local social worker Ana (Krisha Fairchild) – uncover sinister clues tied to her mother’s past that lead to hostile encounters and warnings to leave before it’s too late.
Kos, working from a script by Mallory Westfall, opens the film with a clip of blood-splattered Emily addressing the camera before rewinding the clock to the rosy-eyed start of Emily and Danny’s voyage into the dusty border town of Las Cruces. O’Grady earns easy sympathy for her reservations about her mother, bolstered by Ubach’s complicated and remorseful Sam. It’s also helped in the way she’s direct about her search for answers once Sam disappears. Though, Emily’s desperation to find Sam leaves her prone to recklessness, balanced by E.J. Bonilla’s more cautious and empathetic Danny. Where Emily’s past exposure to her mother’s addictions leaves her less easily rattled, Danny becomes an audience proxy as he comments from behind the camera with bewilderment, terror, and reason. The weirder and more dangerous things get, the more determined and brash Emily becomes, whereas Danny opts for safety and practical solutions.
The central search for Sam creates a slow-simmering build of tension as Emily and Danny venture into the underbelly of Las Cruces, looking for answers from unhoused communities, seedy bars, or local gangs. Kos’s desire to explore vulnerable communities abandoned and ignored by society and his delicate handling of recovering addicts give In Our Blood texture and depth. It also creates unique obstacles for Emily and Danny as these corners become more dangerous and threatening, with Danny breaking from convention by listening to his instincts. But the further entrenched Emily and Danny get, the more the found footage style format binds the story. Familiar tropes distract from meatier subtext and telegraph reveals too far in advance.
Just when it feels destined to coast into a predictable finish, In Our Blood comes alive. The climactic showdown comes with all the requisite answers and a few unexpected reveals that effectively reframe so much about the story that preceded it. So much so that frustrating character choices are forgiven; Kos ends the film on such a curious, thrilling note that you want an immediate follow-up. The horror here is of the slow-burn variety, relying heavily on the increasingly terrified leads to communicate the stakes. It’s unhelped by how closely Kos adheres to the format, down to its limitations. But Kos presents such a fascinating, flawed world anchored by a talented cast that it helps carry the familiar horror mystery to a satisfying finale.
In Our Blood made its world premiere at Fantasia. Release info TBD.
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