AUTUMN BLOOD

2013 / Director. Markus Blunder. 
Review by Glenn Cochrane.

You don't just watch AUTUMN BLOOD... you experience it. It is a film that delivers incredible beauty and absolute horror in equal measures. Two children are left orphaned at their remote mountain cabin in the highlands of an unknown country. Their father died several years ago at the hands of a town mayor and several years later their mother succumbs to illness. Left to fend for themselves they carry on with the familiar routines that they were raised on and keep to themselves. It soon becomes obvious to people that they are living alone and a family of brothers from the nearby town close in on the siblings with rape and murder on their mind. There is no mucking around with this film. It is a thing of beauty and director Markus Blunder has crafted something unique. There is practically no dialogue throughout the entire movie and the total word count could be added up on two hands. The landscape, terrain and actions tell the story and the players surrender themselves unconditionally to the elements. All of the actors are exceptional with the brother/sister duo delivering courageous and taxing performances. I was actually shocked by AUTUMN BLOOD because the region 4 poster treatment is very misleading. I had expected a run-of-the-mill action/thriller but ended up getting a powerful, compelling and confronting story that slowly works its way from being a moving drama to a heart-pounding suspense thriller. It was shot in the mountains of Austria and every frame is picturesque. It is beautiful even during its gruelling and horrific moments and to elevate the emotional core even more, the film is layered with a wonderful score that evolves along with the narrative. AUTUMN BLOOD impressed the hell out of me and I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

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