Hulu is ramping up its collection of spooky content as Huluween is now in full swing. Last week, Monsterland debuted on the streamer, kicking off a new slate of original series and films for the season. Later this week, the new original film Books of Blood will be the latest addition to that lineup.
Based on Clive Barker’s 1980s books of the same name, Books of Blood tells three interwoven nightmarish stories that are sure to get any viewer into the Halloween spirit.
After a brief introduction that lays out a very vague premise for the film, Books of Blood goes into a title sequence that clearly divides itself into three separate parts. Each part is titled after its main character – “Jenna,” “Miles” and “Bennett.” While each story is loosely connected, with some connections being stronger than others, they could all exist completely independent of one another.
One thing Books of Blood does very well is making its audience very uncomfortable. Right from the beginning, the film has very creepy vibes and feels as though it is constantly building tension. Whether it’s Jenna’s heightened perception of mouth noises, Simon’s strange affliction or any other of a number of creepy aspects of this film, you’re sure to just feel at least a little unsettled while watching it.
Each individual story is fairly captivating as the tension builds and you continue to get more and more invested in each character. In particular, “Jenna” is very interesting as the helpless character with a dark past is sure to get the audience on her side rather quickly. All three stories can potentially achieve this, but some of the main characters aren’t quite as likeable.
However, each story falls a bit flat in its climax. While it’s understandable that there is still more to be told at the end of each segment, in the moment it feels as though the storied end rather abruptly and without a satisfying resolution. And even when things come back around in the end, it’s still likely to leave you wanting a more satisfying conclusion. Horror fans will probably be left wanting to watch Trick ‘r Treat for a better version of this type of interwoven story.
Another thing working in the favor of this film is the acting. Most of the cast does a fantastic job of bringing their characters to life. There are some instances where the writing seems to have the characters behave in a way that makes them feel more like their in a horror movie than they are real people. Still, the majority of the cast delivers very believable performances.
Overall, Books of Blood is probably best left to those who are searching for every last piece of new horror content this Halloween season. It’s a fun concept and the interwoven crossovers do deliver a few moments that will leave you looking like Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at his television, but for the most part it will just leave you wanting to watch Trick ‘r Treat. Still, if you want a new horror story to enjoy, you could do much worse than this new Hulu original film.
Books of Blood will debut on Hulu on Wednesday, October 7.