Blood Conscious (2021)

Engaged couple, Tony and Brittney, and Brittney's teenage brother, Kevin, arrive at Brittney and Kevin's parents' cabin, finding multiple people in the area (including the parents) killed, encountering a shot-gun packing plumber (Dimici) paranoid and half-crazy, saying "they were all demons", believing they might be also. What happens is our trio trying to avoid the same fates as everybody else, hoping to convince the plumber that they aren't demons or dangerous, just wanting him to leave. From that point on Kevin is on alert, on guard, adopting a similar paranoia as the plumber, eventually convinced Tony returned from a walkabout (looking for help) "changed". Brittney tries to get her brother to chill out, with a Karen showing up calling herself Margie (Lori Hammel) sort of causing a lot of tension in the group. Eventually even the plumber returns, causing even more friction between Tony and Kevin.

I personally didn't have a problem with the performances. I could see how you might gauge the situation through the perspectives of either Tony or Kevin, the former insisting he's not possessed or anything while the latter shows his sister Margie's driver's license, as they see a different name that what she told them. I could see how a viewer might be frustrated with not actually seeing anything "demon", since "The Thing" did give you your money's worth. Perhaps Tony revealing something demonic, but the purpose of "well, is there actually something demonic?" being left out there to ponder, I can see why that was preferred even if a legit "sighting" might have been cool. I could tell, though, the money just wasn't there. So the final minutes sort of left me like, "Umm, okay." Kevin and Brittney just sort of stuck with their hands up and they are surrounded by folks with weapons (bloodied and seemingly on the verge of breakdown) as the film goes to the credits does leave us wondering exactly still how all this came about.

You know I thought to myself: there is a lot left on the bone to further explore if enough attention found its way to this film. I'm not sure, though, judging by the lack of positive feedback, any other films will ever be made. Like these people Kevin and Brittney meet (the plumber taking himself out before he can be possessed) look as if they have been through hell. You could even see the story of Kevin and Brittney's parents before they arrived. 3/5