Directed by Pedro Kos and written by Mallory Westfall, filmmaker Emily reunites with her estranged mother for documentary. When her mother then disappears, Emily and cinematographer Danny search for her whereabouts amidst the traces of her past addictions. Starring: Brittany O’Grady, E.J. Bonilla, Alanna Ubach, Krisha Fairchild, Steven Klein, Bianca Comparato and Leo Marks.
One of the interesting things about In Our Blood is that Pedro Kos and Mallory Westfall give you everything you need to piece together this mystery, but you absolutely shouldn’t. It’s more fun to simply let things play out, to not question or dissect, simply jump in for the ride with Emily (Brittany O’Grady) and Danny (E.J. Bonilla). It takes a while for that mystery to truly take hold, and it could have punched up the atmosphere with more tension to strengthen the buildup but it still works, in large part because Kos manages to create an organic air.
The found footage style creates a suspicious edge while actually managing to capture some great raw emotion. Starting out with those dramatic notes before easing into the mystery creates a genuine connection with these characters and they themselves have great chemistry. Brittany O’Grady and E.J. Bonilla are a captivating duo, they have a good banter but also create that feel of a team, having each other’s backs. Bonilla gives Danny a fantastic, grounded personality, loyal, reliable and not afraid to say ‘let’s get the hell out of here’ when things get shady.
O’Grady then gives us the more complicated Emily, she’s got a lot of determination and strength but also a little vulnerability. They’re a very easy duo to watch and even when there’s not a lot happening, they hold your attention well. That’s something In Our Blood manages all throughout, it’s relatively slow but never to the point that you want to tune out. However, its biggest weakness is the ending, it feels too conventional and a simpler resolution than expected. It’s unsatisfying to not find a more complicated or unusual finale but to its credit, it does still work and is decently written. Although the attempt to then bring through a heartfelt message about vulnerable communities does feel out of place, as admirable as its intentions are.
In Our Blood may not knock it out of the park with its ending but it’s still a great addition to the found footage genre. Pedro Kos makes a lot of clever choices to keep things humble and grounded, never overplaying his hand to keep a feel of reality flowing throughout. It’s an unusual move to go from documentaries to a found footage doc thriller but it’s a surprisingly smooth transition and a strong first outing into the fictional world from Kos. Brittany O’Grady and E.J. Bonilla are also superb, they’re an easy duo to keep watching for a lot longer than ninety minutes, and there’s a strong ensemble cast behind them. It has some teething problems but it’s worth the watch for any horror-thriller fan.
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